It will be nice to come back to where I started – Ravichandran Ashwin hints at CSK return ahead of IPL 2022 auction

India’s veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has stated that it would be nice for him to go back to Chennai Super Kings in the upcoming Indian Premier League mega auction.

Ashwin played for CSK from 2008 to 2015 and picked up 90 wickets in 95 matches at an average of 24.2.

Ashwin then joined Rising Pune Supergiant in 2016 and 2017. Subsequently, he led Punjab Kings (earlier Kings XI Punjab) before playing for Delhi Capitals. However, he was released by Delhi Capitals before the auction.

However, Ashwin also admitted that he could go to any team. The experienced off-spinner is one of the 10 marquee players in the auction and has set his base price at INR 2 crore.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ravichandran Ashwin said while talking to the former auctioneer, Richard Madley: “I’m actually not too sure, but to be honest, a professional player going anywhere giving his best must be the ideal way to go about it. But yeah, I am 35 now, it will be nice to come back to where I started but they already have an off-spinner with them in Moeen Ali. So I don’t know how they gonna go about it, so let’s wait and watch.”

The off-spinner added that he has no clue where he would go in the auction and feels a lot will depend on how it goes in the beginning.

“Actually to be very honest, I have got no clue about where I might be ending up. The reason being it’s early up in the auction, some teams have got money, some teams have already retained a lot of players and I just feel it’s going to be a real topsy turvy sort of a curve.”

“If you come and present yourself in the first three or four people in the marquee set, then your future is just about anywhere and everywhere. If you come maybe after five players and I think there are a few teams that will have money and there will be an even game happening and there will be people going after.”

Ashwin has all the experience under his belt and he has definitely improved his white-ball performance in the recent past. The off-spinner was also able to make his return to the national team in the ODI and T20I format. Thus, he is expected to be in high demand in the auction and could easily fetch over INR 5 crore.

The IPL auction will take place on February 12 and 13 in Bengaluru.