Ravichandran Ashwin demands most money in ILT20 auction, sets highest base price at USD 120,000
Published - 23 Sep 2025, 05:58 PM | Updated - 23 Sep 2025, 11:34 PM
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Indian spin maestro Ravichandran Ashwin is all set to make waves in the inaugural International League T20 (ILT20) auction on October 1. Having retired from international cricket last December and from the IPL in August 2025, Ravichandran Ashwin is now looking at his first overseas T20 league stint.
Notably, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) doesn’t allow the active Indian players to play in the overseas leagues to protect the Indian Premier League (IPL), but the retired players, like Ashwin, can participate after ending all ties with Indian cricket as a player.
Ravichandran Ashwin eyes ILT20 debut before BBL stint
Now, Ravichandran Ashwin has officially registered for the first-ever ILT20 auction, which is organized by the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) in the UAE.
As reported by ESPNcricinfo, the former Indian all-rounder is among the 24 Indian icons who are likely to go under the hammer on October 1. The ILT20 longlist currently features nearly 800 players.
The final list will be confirmed this week after receiving the wishlist from each franchise. According to the report, Ashwin is the only player on the ILT20 auction longlist with a six-figure base price.
Ravichandran Ashwin enters ILT20 Auction with record base price
The spin maestro has entered the ILT20 auction at a massive base price set at $120,000 (around INR 1.06 crore), which is the highest for any player in the tournament.
England's legendary fast bowler James Anderson has also entered the ILT20 auction, after failing to get a deal in Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL) and South Africa’s SA20.
Additionally, Ravichandran Ashwin has confirmed full availability for the tournament and could make his T20 overseas debut in the UAE’s league before heading to Australia for the Big Bash League (BBL), where four teams have shown interest in signing him for the second half of the season.
ILT20 auction rules and squad details
Meanwhile, the fourth edition of the ILT20 is all set to light up the cricket calendar from December 2 to January 4, featuring six teams. The franchises have already completed retentions and direct signings in July, where each team was allowed to spend up to USD 1.2 million, with the remaining USD 800,000 for the auction purse.
Teams can spend a total of USD 2 million, with a minimum spend of USD 1.5 million. Additionally, franchises can use USD 250,000 to acquire up to two wildcard players outside the auction. On the other hand, every squad must have 19 to 21 players, including at least 11 from Full Member nations, four from the UAE, one each from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and two from other Associate countries.
Each franchise also has one right-to-match (RTM) card to buy back a UAE player from its 2025 squad or development team. Notably, the ILT20 CEO David White has said that they are fine with Ashwin taking part in the tournament as both a player and a coach.
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