"In the middle there was a pause" - R Ashwin's wife recalls her nervous wait amid IPL 2025 auction

Retired Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin's wife Prithi Narayanan has recalled the anxious wait for which team her husband will play for amid the IPL 2025 auction. Narayanan revealed that they were desperate to see him return to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

It was with the Super Kings that the 38-year-old had begun his IPL career. He became a critical part in the 2010 and 2011 editions when the franchise lifted the trophy. The five-time champions brought him back in the IPL 2025 auction, shelling out ₹9.75 crore.

At the launch of the third episode of the CSK player documentary series, Narayanan suggested that the finger spinner deserved to play for a team where he felt relaxed. She said:

"All we wanted was for him to go to a place where he is happy. And, he has played under pressure for so many years and there has been a lot that he has had to go through and for us, we felt like the icing on the cake to what had been a beautiful career for him would be if he came back here (to CSK)."

She reflected that the suspense in the middle was the toughest part to deal with. She added that the confirmation that Ashwin was going to the Super Kings proved to be quite an emotional moment, saying:

"This side Kasi sir was there and Rahul Dravid was there on that side. I was just seeing where is he (Ashwin) going? In the middle, there was a pause and I was like ‘Oh my god, who is going to take him now and then again it resumed and finally we saw that the paddle didn't go down only (from CSK). And then, till the time the words sold were told, it was a hugely emotional moment. Right after we were bombarded with phone calls and then I called him. I was in tears and I think it hit him hard too."

The off-spinner failed to live up to the expectations as he managed only seven wickets in nine matches at 40.43. Furthermore, the Super Kings finished at the bottom of the table for the first time in IPL history despite a convincing win over the Gujarat Titans in their final game.

---

"We shouldn't forget that it was the IPL that showcased Ashwin’s talent" - R Ashwin's mother

Ravichandran Ashwin. (Image Credits: Getty)

The veteran cricketer's mother, Chitra Ravichandran, fully credited the Super Kings for helping his son's career to the next level, adding:

"We shouldn't forget that it was the IPL that showcased Ashwin’s talent to the world. I have to say that CSK played a big role in that. Because MS Dhoni played that big knock (IPL 2010 in Dharamsala), CSK qualified for the knockouts that season. After that, he took wickets and we won the title that year."

However, the Tamil Nadu-born cricketer could be released by the Super Kings, given his IPL 2025 performances.