India’s iconic off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has ended his Indian Premier League (IPL) journey, sparking fresh interest from T20 franchises around the world. Keen to continue playing the shorter format outside India, Ashwin revealed on his YouTube channel that he could feature in a few overseas leagues after calling time on his IPL career. He has already registered for the ILT20 auction and might also turn out in the Big Bash League (BBL) in Australia later this year.

Cricket Australia’s chief executive, Todd Greenberg, has spoken about his eagerness to see Ashwin in the BBL. Although Unmukt Chand became the first Indian cricketer to appear in the competition, signing someone of Ashwin’s calibre would bring a huge boost in global attention and viewership.

“Having a player of Ashwin’s stature in the BBL would be a huge boost on many fronts. He is a champion cricketer who can add tremendous value to the Big Bash and to our summer of cricket,” Greenberg said to Cricbuzz.

The main challenge lies in team budgets, as most franchises have already spent heavily during the draft, which could restrict their chances of signing him.

Ashwin is among India’s top wicket-takers in the T20 format. In 333 matches, he has picked up 317 wickets at an average of 26.94, including four four-wicket hauls, while keeping an impressive economy rate of 7.11 runs per over. With the bat, he has scored 1,233 runs across 139 innings, maintaining a strike rate of 119.59 and an average of 14.50, including a solitary half-century.

Australia has been central to the latter stages of Ashwin’s international career. His last Test appearance came in Adelaide during a day-night match, while his final ODI outing was also against Australia. In T20 internationals played Down Under, the spin-bowling all-rounder has collected 11 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 27.54, conceding 7.76 runs per over.