Kathmandu, Sept 23 – Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has set the highest base price for the upcoming inaugural International League T20 (ILT20) auction, scheduled to be held in Dubai on October 1. The veteran off-spinner has listed himself at USD 120,000, the top figure among all players registered for the event.
The 39-year-old, who has retired from both international cricket and the Indian Premier League (IPL), confirmed his full availability for the season. Should a franchise pick him, ILT20 will mark Ashwin’s first-ever foreign T20 league appearance, adding a fresh chapter to his illustrious career.
So far, nearly 800 players have registered for the auction, including 24 from India. The final auction pool will be prepared later this week, based on the wishlists submitted by the franchises.
The fourth edition of ILT20 is set to take place from December 2 to January 4. Franchises had already retained and directly signed players earlier in July. For the auction, each team will be allowed to spend up to USD 2 million, with a mandatory minimum spend of USD 1.5 million. Additionally, franchises can recruit two wildcard players outside of the auction for an extra USD 250,000.
The league has also laid out clear squad composition rules. Each team must include between 19 to 21 players, comprising:
At least 11 players from full-member nations,
4 players from the UAE,
1 player each from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia,
2 players from other associate nations.
Moreover, in an effort to promote domestic cricket, franchises will have the option to use a “Right to Match” (RTM) card to re-sign a UAE player.
With Ashwin’s high-profile entry and record base price, the ILT20 auction is expected to draw significant global attention. Fans and analysts alike will be watching closely to see which franchise secures the services of one of India’s most successful spinners in modern cricket.
