Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is set to leave Kings XI Punjab (KXIP). KXIP co-owner Ness Wadia has confirmed this news on Wednesday (6th November). However, Wadia hasn’t confirmed Ashwin’s next team yet as they are still talking to a few different teams.
Ravichandran Ashwin is one of the top spinners in Indian Premier League (IPL) history. He is currently the seventh most wicket-taker in IPL history as he has picked up 125 wickets in 139 matches.
Ashwin was the successful off-spinner during his long tenure for Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He played for CSK (from 2008 to 2015) before the franchise faced the two-year suspension from the IPL. Ashwin is still the most wicket-taker for CSK as he has taken 120 wickets in 121 T20s for this team.
Later, in 2016 and 2017, Ravichandran Ashwin served in the now-defunct IPL side Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS). While he took ten wickets in 2016, he missed out the entire 2017 season due to a sports hernia injury.
From 2018 season, Ashwin is playing the captain role for KXIP. In the last two seasons, the KXIP off-spinner has taken 25 wickets in 28 matches. But his leadership has failed to motivate much the Punjab franchise. In the last two seasons, Ashwin-led KXIP finished in the seventh and sixth position respectively.
We are talking to a few different teams: Ness Wadia about Ravichandran Ashwin’s moving
In the last few months, there was strong speculation that Ravichandran Ashwin was ready to move Delhi Capitals (DC) from KXIP in the pre-auction trading window. But later, Ness Wadia claimed to re-think on the off-spinner.
Now, Wadia has confirmed that Ashwin is really leaving KXIP. But Wadia has also added that Ashwin’s next team has been not decided yet.
Wadia told PTI, “I know there is a lot of speculation but we are still talking. Ashwin is a very good, versatile player. Any team would love to have him. We are talking to a few different teams (including Delhi) and as soon as we are clear, we will announce it.”
He further added, “We (Ashwin and KXIP) have amicably come to a conclusion that we should part ways and now we are trying to get the best fit, best solution for everyone. We are talking to a few teams to see where the best fit is and the best value comes for both Ashwin and ourselves. We want the best deal for everyone.”
The latest pre-auction trading window will run till 15th November 2019. After that, the 2019 IPL players’ auction will be conducted on 19 December 2019 in Kolkata.