An ending is the start of something new. Ravichandran Ashwin, with that in mind, has called time on his IPL career. IPL was once the stepping stone for the off-spinner as he started off as a white-ball bowler who looked like he lacked potential for the red-ball game. He had a debut to forget in the IPL, playing in South Africa in 2009. He was initially taken as a net bowler but got a contract and made a debut in a game where he did not need to bat or bowl for CSK. 2010 and 2011, though, were the turning points for him. He became a regular in the eleven and was quickly used as Dhoni's powerplay specialist. 

The notion of spinners in the middle overs was altered with Ashwin coming in during the powerplay and creating an impact both economically and with key wickets from time to time. He broke the game open in the 2011 IPL Final, for example, taking the wicket of Chris Gayle in the first over of the chase. His success with the new ball became a stepping stone as he made his national debut in 2010 and also opened the bowling in a World Cup quarter-final against Australia in 2011. He finishes as the spinner with the most overs in the Powerplay, and it was a stint that pushed him forward nationally, too.

Ironically, though, the first two seasons typecast him as a white-ball bowler. Ashwin, though, broke into the Test side and became India's premier spinner and second leading wicket taker for India in Test Cricket. Ashwin the Test Cricketer went on to do great things, while Ashwin the white-ball cricketer started to tail away after 2017. Ravichandran Ashwin though did not stop his experiments. He played around with his action a lot in the IPL and even ventured into Leg-spin. He started it in 2015 when the need for wrist-spinners in white-ball cricket did its rounds, and he continued as the leg-spinner in the 2018 season as well while leading the Kings XI Punjab. He moved around teams a few times and also introduced the Mankad in the IPL. He did warn Steve Smith back in 2012, but Jos Buttler was the first victim in 2019, while Aaron Finch also got his own death stare in 2020.

The experiments did not stop, though. Ashwin, a rulebook on his own, introduced the value of retiring a batter out when he retired himself out while batting for the Rajasthan Royals. He was the first to do so and took the step in order to get a better hitter in Riyan Parag ahead of him. After him, the mode of dismissal has become a strategic use in the IPL and franchise Cricket around the World, with Faf Du Plessis recently walking off for 91 in the final over, feeling the heat in the USA.

As a player, Ashwin was out of the scheme for a good part after 2017 in white-ball cricket but his IPL time was still going well. He went from CSK to RPS for a season, missing another with injury and then to the Punjab Kings. With the Punjab Kings, he got his chance to lead and did so quite well, but unfortunately, he did not achieve the results to drive home. With his next team, the Delhi Capitals, Ashwin stood around as a regular pairing with Axar Patel and played a crucial role as an economical bowler and also a wicket-taker. His best phase after the inital days though, was with the Royals, where Ashwin helped his side to the Final and also shared memorable moments with the likes of Sanju Samson, Yuzvendra Chahal and Jos Buttler.

His last season, unfortunately, did not go well. It was not the happiest homecoming after Chennai brought him back for 9 Crores, with Ashwin going through his most expensive season with the ball while struggling to take wickets. In retirement, though, Ashwin now follows the path of Dinesh Karthik and opens up the chance of playing in leagues around the World with a lot yet to be seen of the off-spinner across the globe.