New Delhi, Aug 27: Ravichandran Ashwin announced on Wednesday that he is retiring from the Indian Premier League, ending a 16-year chapter filled with triumphs and controversies that shook the cricketing world.

He ended his IPL career as the fifth-highest wicket-taker with 187 strikes at an economy rate of 7.2. Ashwin started off and ended playing for Chennai Super Kings, and also played for Rising Pune Supergiant (now defunct), Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals, and captained Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings).

Besides triumphs, Ashwin’s IPL career is marked by several headline-making moments that that made him unforgettable. He was the first player in IPL history to be retired out, and also the first to run out a non-striker without bowling the ball.

Mankading Jos Buttler in 2019:

In 2019, playing for Punjab Kings, Ashwin created one of the IPL's most talked-about moments when he ran out RR's Jos Buttler at the non-striker's end.

Ashwin was about to bowl the penultimate ball of his spell and Buttler was at the non-striker's end, backing up. The offspinner saw Buttler was out of his crease before he would normally have been expected to release the ball. He turned around and calmly broke the stumps. The event sparked visibly heated exchanges between the two players, and prompted outrage , but it was, technically, within the laws of the game.

First batter to be tactically retired out in the IPL in 2022:

R Ashwin has become the first batter to be tactically retired out in the IPL, by Rajasthan Royals against Lucknow Super Giants. Promoted to No. 6 in the tenth over. After smashing two huge sixes during his 23-ball 28, Ashwin voluntarily retired out at the start of the 19th over to make way for Riyan Parag when the team's total was 135 for 4. The move bumped up RR's' score, and with a finishing kick from Shimron Hetmyer, they ended with 165. This was the first tactical retired-out dismissal in the IPL.

Carries RR to top-two finish in league stage with fiery 23-ball 40 in 2022:

In 2022, Ashwin played one of his finest IPL knocks, a 23-ball 40 that carried Rajasthan Royals to a tense last-over win against Chennai Super Kings to seal a top-two finish on the points table going into the Playoffs.

R Ashwin brought all his experience into play and scored a superb 23-ball 40 not out, hitting two fours and three maximums and added an unbroken 39-run stand with Riyan Parag to take RR home with two balls to spare at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.

Chris Gayle's wicket in 2011 final:

Ashwin delivered the decisive blow in the 2011 final, dismissing the in-form Chris Gayle caught behind in the first over of RCB's chase.

Gayle was the leading run-getter in this IPL and single-handedly transformed Bangalore's fortunes in the tournament. But Ashwin, who had dismissed Gayle for eight in the first qualifier, removed the Universe boss for caught behind in the first over of RCB's chase in the summit clash. Ashwin took three wickets for CSK in the IPL final, ending the tournament as the highest wicket-taker for Chennai with 20 wickets.

Dewald Brevis singing controversy:

Days before announcing his retirement, Ashwin sparked a controversy when he claimed on his channel that CSK were willing to pay “extra” to sign Dewald Brevis as a mid-season replacement in 2025. His comments forced Chennai Super Kings into issuing official clarification that all signing protocols were abided by and that no IPL rules were broken.

(IANS)

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