4 players who started and ended their IPL careers with CSK ft. R Ashwin

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) player Ravichandran Ashwin has announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League (IPL). The 38-year-old made the decision public on Wednesday, August 27, through social media.

Ashwin shared it in a post on X, where he wrote:

“Special day and hence a special beginning. They say every ending will have a new start, my time as an IPL cricketer comes to a close today, but my time as an explorer of the game around various leagues begins today.”

“Would like to thank all the franchisees for all the wonderful memories and relationships over the years and most importantly the @IPL and the @BCCI for what they have given me until now. Look forward to enjoying and making the most of what’s ahead of me,” he added.

Ashwin 🇮🇳

@ashwinravi99

Special day and hence a special beginning. They say every ending will have a new start, my time as an IPL cricketer comes to a close today, but my time as an explorer of the game around various leagues begins today🤓. Would like to thank all the franchisees for all the

Over the course of 221 IPL matches, Ashwin claimed 187 wickets at an average of 30.22, with a strike rate of 25.1 and an economy of 7.20, ranking him as the fifth-highest wicket-taker in the tournament’s history. He also contributed 833 runs, including a half-century. Additionally, Ashwin was part of CSK’s title-winning teams in the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

As he bids farewell to the league, this article takes a look at four players whose IPL journeys both began and concluded with Chennai Super Kings.

---

4 players who started and ended their IPL careers with CSK

#1 R Ashwin

Leading the list is Ravichandran Ashwin, who bid farewell to IPL cricket on Wednesday, August 27. Ashwin enjoyed a remarkable IPL career, beginning with Chennai Super Kings in 2009, where he remained until 2015. He then had stints with Rising Pune Supergiant (2016), Punjab Kings (2018-2019), Delhi Capitals (2020-2021), and Rajasthan Royals (2022-2024), before returning to CSK in 2025.

Overall, Ashwin claimed 187 wickets in 221 IPL matches. For CSK, he played 106 games, picking up 97 scalps in 103 innings at an average of 25.39, a strike rate of 22.80, and an economy rate of 6.68, with his best figures being 3/16.

---

#2 Suresh Raina

Former cricketer Suresh Raina began his IPL journey with Chennai Super Kings in 2008 and remained with the franchise until 2015. He then captained Gujarat Lions during the 2016 and 2017 seasons before returning to CSK for the 2018 edition, staying with the team until 2021.

The southpaw featured in 205 IPL matches, amassing 5,528 runs at an average of 32.51 and a strike rate of 136.73, including 39 fifties and one century. For CSK, Raina played 176 games, scoring 4,687 runs at an average of 32.32 with a strike rate of 136.93, registering 33 fifties and a century.

---

#3 Murali Vijay

Another cricketer who began and ended his IPL career with Chennai Super Kings was Murali Vijay. The opening batter represented CSK from the 2009 to 2013 editions before moving to Delhi Capitals in 2014 and then Punjab Kings for the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Vijay returned to Super Kings in 2018 and remained with the franchise until 2020.

The right-handed batter played 106 IPL matches, scoring 2,619 runs at an average of 25.93 and a strike rate of 121.87, including 13 fifties and two centuries. Of these, he featured in 70 games for CSK, amassing 1,708 runs at an average of 25.88 with a strike rate of 125.13, recording seven fifties and two centuries.

---

#4 Michael Hussey

The final player on the list is former Australian batter Michael Hussey. The southpaw made his IPL debut with Chennai Super Kings in 2008 and remained with the franchise until 2013. He then played for Mumbai Indians in 2014 before returning to CSK for the 2015 season.

Hussey featured in 50 matches for Super Kings, scoring 1,768 runs at an average of 42.10 with a strike rate of 123.64, including 13 fifties and one century. Overall, in his IPL career, he played 59 matches, accumulating 1,977 runs at an average of 38.76 with a strike rate of 122.64, registering 15 fifties and one century.