- Chennai Super Kings fans could never be more excited as IPL 2025 is the season that will see major changes in the franchise’s squad and also the return of Ravichandran Ashwin. Notably, Ashwin’s homecoming comes after a gap of 6 years as he moved to a different franchise ahead of the 2018 season.
The legendary off-spinner, who announced his international retirement from cricket during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, was roped in by CSK for a whopping Rs 9.75 crore.
Old memories were refreshed by the meeting of MS Dhoni and Ashwin
Interestingly, CSK has already started its preparation camp with practice sessions and net sessions. On Thursday, February 27, CSK shared a video on social media in which Dhoni and Ashwin are seen going to the ground for practice.
The video brought back old memories among fans and reminded them of the duo’s previous victories in the iconic yellow jersey.
Meanwhile, CSK will kick off their IPL 2025 season with a blockbuster clash against arch-rivals Mumbai Indians at Chepauk, amid uncertainty over MS Dhoni’s retirement rumours.
MS Dhoni’s arrival in Chennai for IPL 2025 has fuelled retirement speculation, as a video released by the team showed a mysterious message written on his T-shirt. The message looked like Morse code, translating to “One Last Time”.
This has led to speculation that the CSK veteran could be playing his final IPL season, although there has been no official confirmation from Dhoni or the franchise.
Ashwin comments on homecoming
Meanwhile, talking about his return to the franchise, Ashwin recalled the 2011 IPL auction, where CSK had bid aggressively for him.
“They say life is a circle. I played for them from 2008 to 2015. I will always be indebted to them. Whatever I learned at CSK has taken me so far in international cricket. It has been 10 years since I played for CSK,” Ashwin said.
Reflecting on the auction, Ravichandran Ashwin expressed his feelings about the franchise’s commitment to bring him back.
“It was a trip down memory lane as CSK put up a strong bidding war for me just like they did in 2011. It was like bringing back old memories. It is a very special feeling.”
Ashwin and Dhoni will reunite this season to guide Gaikwad, who will be aiming for a sixth title win for the franchise this season.
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