R Ashwin Missing From SA20 Auction List Despite IPL Retirement: The Real Reason

Ravichandran Ashwin’s name was missing from the SA20 2026 player auction list even though he retired from the IPL and has spoken about playing two to three overseas leagues a year. Early chatter suggested it might be due to an old one-year “cooling-off” rule that once stopped newly retired IPL players from immediately joining foreign leagues. That rule, however, was withdrawn after pushback from players. The actual reason, as multiple reports indicate, is scheduling: Ashwin is understood to be focusing on the ILT20 auction pool, which overlaps with SA20. With both tournaments running across December–January, he has opted to pursue the UAE-based league instead of South Africa’s.

Ashwin has been open about exploring short stints in franchise cricket and even taking up a coaching role if the right offer comes along. Choosing ILT20 aligns with that plan. SA20 is slated to start in late December and run for about a month, while ILT20 begins on January 11—meaning a significant clash in dates. For a veteran managing workload and maximizing availability, picking one consistent window makes more sense than splitting time mid-season.

Some background added to the confusion. In 2023, when the one-year “cooling-off” proposal surfaced, Ambati Rayudu withdrew from MLC soon after his IPL retirement. That episode lingered in public memory, leading to assumptions that the same restriction was still live. But subsequent clarifications have made it clear the policy was not enforced going forward, creating a path for retired players to participate abroad—subject to standard contractual permissions and league rules.

Ashwin’s recent career timeline also shaped expectations. He stepped away from international cricket during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia and later returned to the IPL for a final season, taking seven wickets in nine matches. After closing that chapter, he signaled interest in select league appearances and skill-sharing roles. In that context, ILT20’s calendar, logistics, and franchise environment appear to fit better for his next phase.

What happens next is straightforward. If picked at the ILT20 auction, Ashwin could join a small list of Indian veterans who have turned out in the league. Separately, interest in a mentorship or coaching capacity could see him embedded with a T20 setup even when he is not playing, a natural evolution for a strategist who has long studied match-ups, angles, and conditions as deeply as anyone.

In short, Ashwin’s absence from the SA20 list is not about eligibility or any revived restriction. It’s a practical scheduling choice, with ILT20 set as his preferred window for the upcoming season and potential coaching doors kept open for the future.