Ashwin signs up for entire BBL season after ILT20 miss

 R Ashwin has committed to a full season in the Big Bash League (BBL) and will feature in all matches for the Sydney Thunder. He had initially signed up for a shorter stint, covering only a few league fixtures and the playoffs, but has now extended his contract to remain available throughout the tournament. The BBL 2025 will run from December 14 to January 25.

Ashwin's extended participation in the BBL comes for an obvious reason. His planned stint in the ILT20 did not materialise after he went unsold in the first round of the auction on Wednesday. He promptly withdrew his name from the remaining rounds, unwilling to feature in the league at a meagre pay.

Ashwin had entered the ILT20 auction with a base price of $120,000, the highest among the registered players, but was left disappointed with the turn of events. "That's the price I wanted as a bare minimum, and I'm happy not to play at this stage of my career if my value isn't met," Ashwin told Cricbuzz. There was always a chance of being picked in the following round but he decided not to continue.

"I was about to pull out a few days before the auction because of the Thunder deal, but since I had already committed to the ILT20 that I would enter the auction, I honoured my word. However, I did not agree to lowering my base price," he said.

He also confirmed to this website on Thursday that he has given commitment to Sydney Thunder for the full season. "I have signed up with Sydney Thunder for the entire season," he said. Since he had already verbally committed to ILT20, Thunder and BBL agreed to give him an exemption. But the price had to be higher. Coached by Trevor Baylis, Thunder finished third last season.