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India's retired IPL stars who have played overseas T20 leagues before Ravichandran Ashwin

Rajgeeta Yadav

R Ashwin and Dinesh Karthik [Source: AFP and @Piyush_Cricket/X.com]R Ashwin and Dinesh Karthik [Source: AFP and @Piyush_Cricket/X.com]

We all know that Indian cricketers who are still active, whether in Team India or the IPL, are not allowed to play in overseas T20 leagues. This restriction is set by the BCCI. 

However, once a player retires from all formats of cricket, including the IPL, they are free to participate in international franchise tournaments around the world. 

One of the biggest names in the news right now is R. Ashwin. He is set to play for Sydney Thunder in Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL) and will become the first male Indian international cricketer to do so.

Since no capped Indian player has ever featured in the BBL before, Ashwin’s decision marks a major breakthrough. His retirement from the IPL earlier this year opened the door for him to explore overseas opportunities for the first time.

Ashwin is not alone in this trend. Several other former Indian cricketers have also made their way into global leagues after hanging up their boots.

Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, including the IPL, in June 2024 at the age of 39. Soon after, the former RCB star joined the Paarl Royals in South Africa’s SA20 league, where he became the first Indian to play in that tournament. 

Notably , over the season, he scored 130 runs in eight innings at an average of 22 with a strike rate of 121.

Ambati Rayudu

Another big name is Ambati Rayudu, who retired from the IPL after the 2023 final. Earlier in his career, he had also briefly retired in 2019 after being left out of India’s World Cup squad, but this time he stepped away for good. 

After his IPL retirement in 2023, Rayudu joined the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) with St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots. Although he only played three matches before withdrawing due to personal reasons, he still managed to score 47 runs. 

He later went on to feature in the ILT20 in the UAE in January 2024 with MI Emirates, scoring 101 runs in eight innings. Interestingly, Rayudu became only the second Indian to appear in the CPL, after Pravin Tambe.

Robin Uttappa 

Robin Uthappa is another familiar face who chose the overseas route after retirement. He stepped away from Indian cricket and the IPL in September 2022. 

Following that, he played for the Dubai Capitals in the inaugural ILT20 in 2023, becoming the first Indian to take part in the competition after the BCCI rule change. Later that same year, he also joined the Zim Afro T10 league in Zimbabwe.

Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina, a long-time fan favourite, also found opportunities abroad after retirement. He first quit international cricket in August 2020 and later announced his retirement from all forms of Indian cricket, including the IPL, in September 2022. 

Once free from BCCI restrictions, he played for the Deccan Gladiators in the Abu Dhabi T10 League and later joined the Lanka Premier League (LPL) in 2023.