Indian offspin great Ravichandran Ashwin has been ruled out of his maiden BBL season with Sydney Thunder after undergoing knee surgery in Chennai. The setback comes just weeks before the tournament’s start on December 14, sidelining the veteran from what would have been a historic debut as the first capped India player in the BBL.
Ashwin, who retired from the IPL earlier this year to pursue overseas opportunities, expressed his disappointment on social media, saying he was “gutted” to miss BBL|15. He added that he hopes to be “around the group later in the season” if recovery allows.
Thunder general manager Trent Copeland confirmed that the franchise will work closely with Ashwin on a revised schedule of activity, possibly involving fan events and appearances. “From the moment we first spoke, his commitment was clear. We wish him a speedy recovery,” Copeland said.
Ashwin’s absence is a blow not only to Thunder but to the BBL as a whole, which had built major anticipation around his clash with stars like David Warner, Steven Smith, and Babar Azam. Thunder remain strong in the spin department, with Chris Green, Tanveer Sangha, Shadab Khan, and Tom Andrews ready to step up.
