Sydney Thunder have received a massive setback before the Big Bash League 2025-26 (BBL Season 15) as the entire season of Ravichandran Ashwin has been ruled out. The legendary Indian spinner, who has recently announced his retirement from international cricket, had a contract with the Thunder this season, and he was just about to become the first-ever male Indian cricketer in the history of the Big Bash League. Unfortunately, due to a knee injury that needed surgery, Ashwin is now going to be absent from the full tournament and will not get a chance to play at all.
The Thunder shared this news with the public and expressed their great disappointment over the matter. The Indian star was training in Chennai when he got injured. After going through medical assessments, the doctors decided to operate on him, which meant he would not be able to recover before the season opens. This is a very serious blow not just to the Thunder but also to the league as his signing had generated enormous anticipation among cricket fans in both Australia and India.
This was expected to be a new chapter in Ashwin’s cricket journey after he retired from international cricket. The crowd and the analysts were excited to see his performance in the Australian conditions and the effect of his experience, cricket acumen, and variations on the Thunder’s bowling department. The team was also hoping that he would take a leadership position in the unit, mentor the younger bowlers and bring his tactical mindset to the dressing room. But this plan has to wait now.
The team management of Thunder has informed that they will look to see if Ashwin could still be a part of their season in a non-playing capacity. Despite the fact that he will not be able to bowl or play in the matches, it is possible that he will be involved in team discussions, mentoring, strategy meetings, or fan engagements. Nonetheless, the team will still have to quickly find a playing replacement before the tournament begins.
Ashwin is going through a rough patch because this was his first-ever BBL season and it could have opened up new franchise opportunities for him worldwide. However, now his whole focus is on recovery and coming back to the field stronger. The Thunder, on the other hand, will have to move on and change their plans for BBL15 without their main signing.
Written By:- Manjunath S