Key Points

After announcing his retirement from the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) in August, Ashwin decided to embark on overseas adventures and registered his name for the auction of the fourth edition of the ILT20. He entered the fray with a base price tag of US$120,000 but attracted no bidders after entering the fifth round of the auction.

The last time he went under the hammer was at last year's IPL mega auction, where he drew a bid of Rs 9.75 crore from Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Before being snubbed in the ILT20, Ashwin signed with Sydney Thunder for the Big Bash League (BBL) season 15 last month. With the signing, the seasoned ball tweaker became the first cricketer who has played for the India men's cricket team to represent a BBL club.

The 39-year-old will enter Thunder's line-up in early January and ignite the club's push to play in back-to-back BBL finals, having lost to Hobart Hurricanes in the previous season.

"Thunder was crystal clear about how they would use me and brave enough to back it. My conversations with the leadership were excellent, and we are fully aligned on my role. I love how David Warner (the Sydney Thunder captain) plays the game, and it is always better when your leader shares your mindset. I cannot wait to perform for the Thunder Nation," said the spin wizard in a statement by the club.

In 287 matches for India, Ashwin's off-spin claimed 765 international wickets, including 537 scalps in Test format. Ashwin lifted the Cricket World Cup (2011) and Champions Trophy (2013). On a personal level, he was named the ICC's Cricketer and Test Cricketer of the Year of 2016 and a member of the 2011-20 Men's Test Team of the Decade.

During his stint in the IPL, Ashwin made 221 appearances for five franchises, making him the tournament's seventh most-capped player. He is a two-time IPL champion with Chennai Super Kings, having won in 2010 and 2011, and has 187 career wickets in the tournament, ranking him fifth all-time. He has a total of 317 wickets in 333 T20 matches.

- ANI