Who is Murugan Ashwin? Only Indian in ILT20 2026 auction

The ILT20 2026 player auction is set to take place at the ICC Academy Indoors in Dubai on Thursday, October 1. More than 400 cricketers are expected to be part of the auction process, with 200 players from 23 countries included in the auction pool. Among them, former Tamil Nadu leg-spinner Murugan Ashwin is the only Indian cricketer to feature in the list.

The 36-year-old from Chennai has never played for India but has enjoyed a long career in domestic cricket and the Indian Premier League. He featured in the IPL for seven seasons and will now get another opportunity to play in a major overseas T20 league. Ashwin will be joined at the ILT20 auction by several well-known names, including Babar Azam, Phil Salt, Faf du Plessis, Liam Livingstone, Wanindu Hasaranga, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Alzarri Joseph.

With his inclusion, Murugan Ashwin has become one of the players to watch ahead of the ILT20 2026 auction. His presence is also notable because active Indian cricketers generally do not play in overseas franchise leagues. Throughout this article, we will share complete details about Murugan Ashwin, his career, IPL record and his journey to the ILT20 2026 auction.

Murugan Ashwin named as the only Indian in the ILT20 2026 auction

Murugan Ashwin has been named as the only Indian player in the ILT20 2026 auction pool. The former Tamil Nadu leg-spinner will be among more than 400 cricketers expected to go under the hammer at the player auction on October 1 in Dubai.

Ashwin is part of the list of 200 players from 23 countries who will be available for selection at the ILT20 Season 5 auction. His inclusion has attracted attention as he is the only Indian cricketer in the auction pool for the upcoming season.

The Chennai-born spinner will now hope to attract interest from the six ILT20 franchises during the auction. With several international stars also set to feature, Ashwin will have an opportunity to earn a place in one of the UAE-based T20 teams for the 2026 season.

Who is Murugan Ashwin? Age, IPL career and teams

Murugan Ashwin is the only Indian player in the ILT20 Season 5 auction pool. The 36-year-old Chennai-born leg-spinner has played in the IPL for several franchises, including Chennai Super Kings, Rising Pune Supergiant, Kings XI Punjab, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals. However, he never represented India in international cricket.

Ashwin announced his retirement from domestic cricket and the IPL on May 25, 2026. He played 44 IPL matches and took 35 wickets at an average of 33.20. Overall, he finished his T20 career with 115 wickets in 117 matches at an average of 25.38. He will now be part of the ILT20 2026 auction alongside several international stars, including Babar Azam, Phil Salt, Faf du Plessis and Liam Livingstone.

The ILT20 2026 auction will feature 200 players from 23 countries, with 17 Pakistani players also included in the pool. The players have been divided into three base-price categories of USD 80,000, USD 40,000 and USD 10,000. The six franchises will have a starting purse of USD 1.3 million, while each squad must meet the league’s required player-composition rules.

ILT20 2026 auction: Date, venue and what happens next

The DP World ILT20 Season 5 Player Auction will take place on October 1, 2026, at the ICC Academy Indoor Facility in Dubai. Around 200 shortlisted players will be available at the auction, after more than 800 players from over 20 countries registered for the process.

Each of the six franchises will have a starting purse of USD 1.3 million, along with any unused funds from their pre-auction signings. The teams will use the auction to strengthen their squads ahead of the fifth season of the ILT20. Several players have already been retained or signed by the franchises before the auction.

Among the retained players are Sunil Narine, Jason Holder, Nicholas Pooran, Rashid Khan, Sikandar Raza and Romario Shepherd. The franchises have also completed several pre-auction signings, including Finn Allen, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Marcus Stoinis, Noor Ahmad, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen and Sherfane Rutherford. The remaining squad spots will be filled during the October 1 auction.