Sydney Thunder has signed Ravichandran Ashwin for the 15th edition of the BBL. He has made history by becoming the 1st Indian male capped player to play for the Australian league. Although Sydney Thunder successfully included him in the squad, they got competition from other teams like Thunder, Hobart Hurricanes, and Adelaide Strikers.
Ashwin retired from international cricket in December 2024 and recently ended his IPL journey as well. His retirement from IPL opened his door to play another league across the globe, as BCCI doesn’t permit their contract players to play for overseas leagues. The 39-year-old off-spinner was in the news for registering in the ILT20 auction with the highest base price in the tournament’s history.
Since Ashwin is committed to playing for the ILT20 upcoming season in January 2026, he is set to miss early matches of the BBL. The ILT20 final will take place on January 04, 2026, meaning he will join the BBL in January 2026 to play 4 to 5 group stage games.
Ashwin Statement After Historic Signing
After signing the historic deal, Ashwin said, “Thunder was crystal clear about how they’d use me and brave enough to back it. My conversations with the leadership were excellent, and we’re fully aligned on my role. I love how Dave Warner plays the game, and it’s always better when your leader shares your mindset.”
Ashwin was constantly discussing with the Cricket Australia CEO and the BBL manager.
Trent Copeland, Sydney Thunder General Manager, praised Ashwin and welcomed him as a new hope of the team. He stated, “I am so proud that Ashwin has chosen Sydney Thunder. From the first time we spoke, Ashwin impressed everyone at the Thunder with his passion, desire to win, and understanding of what makes our club special.
He will bring an injection of fresh energy and world-class bowling mid-tournament, while his presence as a leader and mentor will be invaluable for our young players. Perhaps most excitingly, Ashwin’s connection with the rapidly growing Indian diaspora in Western Sydney will inspire a new wave of members and fans to join the Thunder Nation. We can’t wait for them to become part of our journey.”
Sydney Thunder 2024-25 Squad
Apart from Ashwin, David Warner, Lockie Ferguson, and Sam Konstas are their notable players.
Ravichandran Ashwin, David Warner, Cameron Bancroft, Sam Billings, Ollie Davies, Lockie Ferguson, Matthew Gilkes, Wes Agar, Tom Andrews, Chris Green, Ryan Hadley, Shadab Khan, Sam Konstas, Nathan McAndrew, Blake Nikitaras, Daniel Sams, and Tanveer Sangha.
Notably, Ashwin became the IPL champion with the CSK in 2010 and 2011. He has played for 5 IPL teams: Chennai Super Kings, Rising Pune Supergiant, Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), Delhi Capitals, and Rajasthan Royals. Sydney Thunder won the BBL in 2015-16 and was the finalist in the 2024-25 edition.
Sydney Thunder will hope the inclusion of Ravi Ashwin will lead them to win their 2nd BBL title.
