Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin opened up on his “painful” second stint with Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League after the team suffered another heavy defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Calling it a “mentally disturbing” phase, Ashwin admitted he chose to retire from the IPL despite believing he could have played longer.
After nine years, Ashwin returned to CSK, with the franchise securing him for ₹10 crore at the auction. However, the season did not unfold as expected. In nine matches, he picked up just seven wickets at an economy rate of 9.12. Eight months after retiring from international cricket, Ashwin brought the curtain down on his IPL career last August.
Speaking on his YouTube channel Ash Ki Baat, the veteran recalled the disappointment of the 2025 season, revealing that he stepped away not just for personal reasons but also to ease the franchise’s decision-making.
“I am watching the match from a neutral point of view, but I recently went through a disappointing season with CSK. It was tough for me personally as well. Honestly, I felt I could have played more, but emotionally, I just did not have the bandwidth,” Ashwin said.
“I don’t want to go there, it’s mentally disturbing. It was very painful for me. I decided to retire myself so it would not create a headache for the management over whether to retain me or release me. They would also save ₹10 crore if I left. I am still disappointed. I had expectations, I had hope,” he added.
Ashwin also weighed in on the uncapped players CSK invested in at the auction, including Kartik Sharma and Prashant Veer, both signed for ₹14.2 crore, urging the franchise to show patience.
“These young players need proper backing. You have to give them good practice, intensity and the right environment. How else are they going to develop?” he said.
Reflecting on CSK’s third straight defeat of the season, Ashwin admitted he was hurt by the lack of fight from the team in the Southern Derby.
“I had expectations from this game. I knew RCB had the stronger side, but I expected improvement from CSK after the last match. The way RCB played, they sent a warning to everyone,” he said.
