Murugan Ashwin Retires from IPL and Domestic Cricket: Leg Spinner Eyes Fresh Challenges at 35

Murugan Ashwin retirement news hit Indian cricket fans hard on May 25. The 35-year-old leg spinner posted on Instagram that he was stepping away from domestic cricket and the IPL after more than a decade grinding in the system. He made one thing crystal clear right away: this is no farewell to the sport itself.

“I would like to announce that I have decided to call time on my domestic cricket career and my journey in the IPL,” Ashwin wrote. “By God’s grace, I still feel there is a lot of cricket left in me.” He plans to chase new challenges and keep playing competitively.

The timing lines up with another big name stepping back just days earlier. All-rounder Vijay Shankar announced his own retirement from domestic cricket and the IPL on May 22, also citing a desire to explore global opportunities. Two veterans walking away in the same week tells you something about the shifting landscape for players outside the national setup.

Ashwin never earned an India cap. That reality never stopped him from making an impact. He broke through in the 2015-16 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, claiming 10 wickets for Tamil Nadu and earning a massive 4.5 crore contract with Rising Pune Supergiant just weeks later. He spent years as a net bowler for Chennai Super Kings, sharpening his craft while waiting for his shot. When the chance came, he grabbed it.

Over his IPL career he suited up for six franchises: Rising Pune Supergiant, Delhi Daredevils, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Punjab Kings, Mumbai Indians, and Rajasthan Royals. Forty-four matches. Thirty-five wickets. Average of 33.20. Economy of 8.01. Best figures 3 for 21. Those numbers came against the best hitters in the world, often in high-pressure death overs or middle-phase battles where one wrong delivery costs the game.

He played under some of the sharpest minds in the game. Ashwin specifically thanked MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Rohit Sharma for the opportunities and the lessons. “My decade-long experience in the IPL gave me the opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the greats,” he said. You could feel the respect in every word.

Domestically he gave Tamil Nadu more than two decades of service across age-group and senior levels. He became the state’s highest wicket-taker in T20 cricket. Later he took guest stints with Chandigarh and Jammu & Kashmir, stepping outside his comfort zone to keep growing. Seven first-class matches, 34 List A games, and 117 T20s across his career delivered 151 wickets in total. The work ethic never wavered.

At 35, with three years since his last IPL appearance and domestic opportunities drying up, the decision makes sense. Yet Ashwin’s post carried no bitterness. Only gratitude and quiet confidence. He thanked teammates, coaches, trainers, physios, the BCCI for running the IPL, and every association that gave him a platform. “I have always played this game the hard way,” he noted, “devoting my utmost dedication and discipline to fine-tuning my craft.”

That line lands differently when you picture the path. No India jersey. Big auction money one year, then fighting for every opportunity the next. Still showing up, still spinning the ball hard, still believing. Fans who followed his journey saw a player who never took the game for granted.

Now the door opens to overseas T20 leagues. Indian players active in domestic cricket or the IPL cannot feature abroad. Retirement from the Indian system removes that barrier. Expect Ashwin’s name to surface in franchise auctions across the world in the coming months. He has the experience, the variations, and the hunger to compete at that level.

The cricket world moves fast. Another wave of experienced domestic performers is choosing to chase new chapters rather than fade quietly. Murugan Ashwin joins that group on his own terms. He leaves Indian cricket richer for his presence and heads into whatever comes next with the same discipline that carried him this far.