R Ashwin signs for Thunder, becomes 1st Indian to play BBL in what is touted to be a major coup for the league.
R Ashwin signs with Sydney Thunder in major BBL coup.
In a historic move, R Ashwin has joined the Sydney Thunder for the forthcoming BBL season, becoming the first player with an Indian cap to compete in the league.
Many Indian women have competed in the WBBL, but BCCI regulations have prevented Indian males from playing in international tournaments. While both former India domestic player Nikhil Chaudhary and former India Under-19 captain Unmukt Chand have participated in the BBL in recent years, Chaudhary now qualifies as a local in Australia and made his List A debut for Tasmania this month, while Chand is a USA citizen.
Ashwin is now able to play in foreign competitions after retiring from the IPL earlier this year. As the player with the highest base price, he has already registered for the ILT20 auction the following week. Given that the BBL tournament begins on December 14, he will be absent for the first three weeks due to his commitment to the ILT20, which is scheduled to take place between December 2 and January 4. The season’s home-and-away portion ends on January 18. The finals are scheduled for January 20–25.
Despite this, Ashwin was nonetheless approached by the BBL and four of its clubs about visiting Australia. Before being approached by the Thunder, Hobart Hurricanes, Sydney Sixers, and Adelaide Strikers to join them, he first spoke with Todd Greenberg, the CEO of Cricket Australia, and then League executives.
Trent Copeland, a former Australia Test bowler, oversaw Ashwin’s acquisition as general manager of the Sydney Thunder. David Warner is the Thunder’s captain, and Trevor Bayliss, a former England World Cup winner, is their coach.
“Thunder were crystal clear about how they’d use me and brave enough to back it,” Ashwin said. “My conversations with the leadership were excellent, and we’re fully aligned on my role. I love how Dave Warner plays the game, and it’s always better when your leader shares your mindset.”
Due to league regulations that limit teams to 18 players per squad, Ashwin is the 17th player to sign with Thunder. Thunder signed Ferguson on the highest overseas salary band in the BBL, which is AUD$420,000. Ashwin will probably be paid well each game while still being under Thunder’s wage ceiling. If they make up the difference over the next two years, Thunder can surpass the cap by AUD$150,000 this year. Additionally, Ashwin and Cricket Australia have a marketing arrangement that will not be included in the salary ceiling.