UPDATE

India's star bowler Ravichandran Ashwin goes unsold at ILT20 auction

UAE cricketer Junaid Siddique gets sold for $170,000 to Sharjah Warriorzs

Last updated: October 01, 2025 | 15:43

1 MIN READ

Chennai Super Kings' Ravichandran Ashwin bowls during the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 cricket match at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on March 30, 2025.

AFP

Dubai: Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin surprisingly went unsold in the inaugural International League T20 (ILT20) auction happening in Dubai on Wednesday.

With a base price of $120,000 - the highest in the tournament, none of the franchise bid for him. But it's still not over for the star Indian spinner as the unsold players come up for a second round of auction at the end of the day.

The 37-year-old has registered for the ILT20 auction, organised by the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) in the UAE earlier last month.

Ashwin, who retired from international cricket in December 2024 and stepped away from the Indian Premier League (IPL) in August 2025, is preparing for his first overseas T20 league stint. Under the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) rules, active Indian players cannot feature in foreign leagues in order to safeguard the IPL’s exclusivity. However, retired players like Ashwin are free to participate once they have cut all professional ties with Indian cricket.

Meanwhile, UAE cricketer Junaid Siddique was sold to $170,000 to Sharjah Warriorzs while Muhammad Rohid of UAE went to MI Emirates for $140k.

Among other well-known players, Andre Fletcher of West Indies became the most expensive player of the day so far after being sold for $260,000 to MI Emirates while Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan remained unsold.

Jai Rai

Jai is a seasoned journalist with more than two decades of experience across India and the UAE, specialising in sports reporting. Throughout his distinguished career, he has had the privilege of covering some of the biggest names and events in sports, including cricket, tennis, Formula 1 and golf. A former first-division cricket league captain himself, he brings not only a deep understanding of the game but also a cricketer's discipline to his work. His unique blend of athletic insight and journalistic expertise gives him a wide-ranging perspective that enriches his storytelling, making his coverage both detailed and engaging. Driven by an unrelenting passion for sports, he continues to craft compelling narratives that resonate with readers. As the day winds down for most, he begins his work, ensuring that the most captivating stories make it to the print edition in time for readers to receive them bright and early the next morning.

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