"His legacy won't be as great" - Ex-CSK cricketer's big take on R Ashwin's IPL retirement

Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) cricketer Robin Uthappa reckoned that Ravichandran Ashwin's legacy in the IPL would not be as great as it was in international cricket. Ashwin recently retired from IPL cricket and will not be a part of the 2026 season.

The off-spinner was brought back by CSK for ₹9.75 crore during the IPL 2025 mega auction. It was a full circle for him as his journey in the league had begun with Chennai in 2009.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Uthappa, who played for CSK in 2021 and 2022, felt that Ashwin used defensive options in the IPL as compared to international cricket.

"I think his legacy (as an IPL player) won't be as great as an international cricket player because of the options he utilized after a certain point. He used a lot of defensive options in the IPL compared to the offensive options he used in international cricket, especially Test cricket. I wish he used his off-spinner a lot more. It's such a mixed bag for him in the IPL. A lot was happening to him through his IPL career as well. His primary skill became a secondary objective," he said. (48:25)

The 38-year-old played for five teams in his IPL career. Overall, he featured in 221 matches and bagged 187 wickets. While he was not regarded much as a T20 bowler towards the end of his career, he is still the fifth-highest wicket-taker in the IPL.

For India, he played 106 Tests, 116 ODIs, and 65 T20Is. He picked up 537, 156, and 72 wickets in all three formats respectively.

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Ashwin could be a fascinating coach in the IPL, reckons Robin Uthappa

Post IPL retirement, Robin Uthappa believed that Ashwin could also become a great coach. He stated that the off-spinner could go on to be a head coach of some team and that there could be interest shown by the franchises.

"I think he will make a fascinating coach. But I think his life is going to be way more enterprising than being stuck in a coach's job. He'll be a mentor of sorts. That will be a great role for him. He could be a head coach in the IPL. There could be some takers for him," he reflected. (52:26)

However, there is no possibility of Ashwin becoming a coach in the IPL anytime soon as of yet. He expressed his desire to explore T20 cricket around various global leagues. According to a Cricbuzz report, he has shown interest in registering for the International League T20 (ILT20) auction.

"Yes, I am in talks with the organisers. Hopefully, I will have a buyer if I register for the auction," he was quoted as saying.

Should Ashwin find a buyer, he could become the fourth Indian to feature in the ILT20. Uthappa, Yusuf Pathan, and Ambati Rayudu have played in the league in the past. Indian players can only participate in foreign leagues after they retire from all forms of Indian cricket, including the IPL.