Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has been ruled out of the 2025 edition of the Big Bash League (BBL) due to a knee injury sustained while training in Chennai, his BBL franchise Sydney Thunder announced on Tuesday.
Thunder had signed the 39-year-old off-spin all-rounder for a full season, making him the first Indian male cricketer to play in the Australian league. However, the injury has ruled him out of the tournament, though the franchise said it will monitor his recovery to assess the possibility of his participation later in the season.
“The impact of Ashwin’s history-making signing will continue to be felt across the Thunder Nation, and the club is working closely with him on a revised schedule of activity during BBL|15, pending the progress of his recovery,” the franchise said in a statement.
Ashwin, in his statement, said: “While training in Chennai to prepare for the upcoming season, I hurt my knee. I’ve had a procedure, and the outcome means I will miss BBL 15. That is tough to say. I was genuinely excited to be part of this group and play in front of you.
“For now, it is rehab, recovery, and doing the work to come back stronger. From my first chat with the club, I have felt only warmth from Trent, the staff, the players, and so many of you who have already reached out. Thank you for making me feel at home before a ball has been bowled.
“I will be watching every game and cheering for both our women’s and men’s teams. If rehab and travel line up, and only if the doctors are happy, I would love to be around later in the season and say hello in person. No promises — that is the intent.”
Ashwin had announced his retirement from the IPL in August this year and had agreed to play at least three matches in the latter half of the BBL season for Thunder. This arrangement was linked to his commitment to participate in the ILT20, where he had listed a maximum base price of USD 120,000.
However, Ashwin went unsold in the ILT20 auction as none of the six franchises bid for him, making him the first capped Indian player to secure a BBL contract.
Sydney Thunder will open their BBL campaign in Hobart with a grand final rematch against the Hurricanes on December 16, before returning to ENGIE Stadium for the Sydney Smash on December 20.
Sydney Thunder squad: Wes Agar, Tom Andrews, Cameron Bancroft, Sam Billings (ENG), Ollie Davies, Lockie Ferguson (NZ), Matthew Gilkes, Chris Green, Ryan Hadley, Shadab Khan (PAK), Sam Konstas, Nathan McAndrew, Blake Nikitaras, Adian O’Connor, Daniel Sams, Tanveer Sangha, David Warner.
— IANS