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Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is set to return to action for the first time since his retirement during last year’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He will don the yellow jersey of Chennai Super Kings, completing a homecoming for the Chennai-based franchise in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Ahead of CSK’s tournament opener against Mumbai Indians on March 23, Ashwin revealed an anecdote about former Indian and CSK skipper MS Dhoni.
Ashwin said he invited Dhoni to his 100th Test match in Dharamshala against England in March last year, but Dhoni could not attend. Ashwin further said although Dhoni missed his milestone Test, he gave him a bigger and more special gift by bringing him back to CSK for the 18th edition of the IPL, the team with which he began his journey to fame.
Full circle for Ashwin
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Ashwin mentioned that he had initially planned to retire from Test cricket after his 100th match in Dharamshala and had invited M S Dhoni to present him with a memento. Although Dhoni could not attend, Ashwin expressed gratitude for an even greater gesture—his return to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for the IPL.
Talking about his homecoming, Ashwin described CSK as a special place, adding that he was returning not just as an accomplished player but as someone who had come full circle and wanted to relive the joy of playing for the franchise again.
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Ashwin’s records for CSK
Ashwin made his debut for CSK in IPL 2009 but featured in only two games. However, he became a regular player for the franchise from IPL 2010 onwards and was a key factor behind the team’s successful run in IPL 2011.
Ashwin stayed with CSK until IPL 2015, featuring in a total of 97 matches, in which he took an impressive 90 wickets. He won four trophies during his stint with CSK, including two IPL titles and two Champions League T20 trophies.
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