Ashwin recently annoucned his decision to retire from IPL cricket. © BCCI UAE or Australia is no longer a dilemma for R Ashwin. It now looks like a double dose – twin assignments – rather than having to choose between the ILT20 and the Big Bash League (BBL). The veteran spinner, who would have otherwise been forced to pick one because of overlapping schedules in the year-end, will almost certainly end up playing in both. Cricbuzz can confirm that Ashwin, one of India’s greatest spinners, has registered for the ILT20 auction and, in all likelihood, will also feature in the BBL in Australia. He has had offers from multiple franchises – both the Sydney sides (Sixers and Thunder), as well as Ricky Ponting’s Hobart Hurricanes and Tim Paine’s Adelaide Strikers. He will, of course, have to choose one of them. Ashwin, who announced his retirement from the IPL in August, is now eligible to play in overseas leagues – a privilege not available to players still involved in Indian tournaments under the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) – and is making the most of this liberty. He has been in negotiations with ILT20 organisers for quite some time and has finally registered for the October 1 auction. In the BBL, he has also been in talks with a few franchises and is expected to formally sign up with one of the four sides mentioned above. The big challenge will be managing the schedule of the back-to-back tournaments, with some fixtures of the tournaments clashing. The ILT20 runs from December 2 to January 4, while the BBL kicks off on December 14 and concludes on January 25. As things stand, Ashwin will start with the ILT20 and then fly to Australia for the BBL, where his availability will be limited this year. A direct entry was not possible this year in the ILT20 as all six franchises have completed their direct signings. “I have registered for the auction. Hopefully, one of the six franchises will be interested in bidding for me,” Ashwin said, confirming his enrollment for the auction, which is being held for the first time in four seasons in the UAE league. Ashwin did not comment on the BBL developments, but indications are that something will be finalised in a few days. As for other overseas leagues, Ashwin is likely to feature in either Major League Cricket (MLC) in the USA or The Hundred in the UK. There is, of course, still time to complete the formalities for those tournaments.
