5 players who you may not know were Ravichandran Ashwin's teammates in the IPL ft. Kevin Pietersen
Ravichandran Ashwin retired as an all-time great on Wednesday (December 18). He shocked the cricket fraternity with his announcement after the conclusion of the third Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test at the Gabba.
However, the legendary spinner will continue playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The IPL 2025 auction saw him purchased for ₹9.75 crore by his home franchise, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
Interestingly, Ashwin made his IPL debut for CSK in 2009. Since then, he has gone on to represent four other franchises and scalped 180 wickets in 212 games. The off-spinner played a key role in the Chennai-based team's titles in 2010 and 2011.
During Ashwin's illustrious IPL career, there have been many prominent cricketers who have been his teammates. Today, let's take a look at a few of them who went under the radar.
#1 Andrew Flintoff - CSK
The flamboyant all-rounder from England was bought by the Chennai Super Kings for a whopping amount of ₹7.55 crore. It made him the joint-most expensive player in the IPL 2009 auction along with Kevin Pietersen.
Flintoff played three games during the season, garnering 62 runs and picking up three wickets. Meanwhile, Ashwin featured in two games and registered three scalps as well. The MS Dhoni-led side sealed a playoff spot but could not reach the final.
#2 Kevin Pietersen - RPS
Another English player, Kevin Pietersen, was a teammate of Ravichandran Ashwin during their time with the Rising Pune Supergiant in IPL 2016. Pietersen was bought for ₹3.5 crore, while Ashwin fetched ₹4.5 crore in the auction.
The right-hander garnered 73 runs in four innings, with a top score of 37. However, he sustained a calf injury during a game against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and was ruled out of the tournament.
Meanwhile, Ashwin picked up 10 wickets in 14 games as the side failed to reach the playoffs.
#3 Usman Khawaja - RPS
Australian opener Usman Khawaja came in as an injury replacement for Kevin Pietersen in IPL 2016. The southpaw did well to score 127 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 127.
Unfortunately, Khawaja warmed the bench throughout the 2017 season and has never featured in the cash-rich league since.
#4 Yuvraj Singh - PBKS
One of the superstars of Indian cricket, Yuvraj Singh helped in growing the T20 revolution around the country with his international performances. However, he couldn't live up to expectations in the IPL and often switched sides.
Yuvraj was bought at his base price of ₹2 crore by the Punjab Kings, while Ashwin was bought for ₹7.6 crore in the IPL 2018 auction. The spinner was also handed the responsibility of leading the side.
The left-hander could score only 65 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of around 90. On the other hand, Ashwin bagged 10 wickets and scored 102 runs in 14 appearances. The franchise finished in the penultimate position, with six wins in the league stage.
#5 Scott Boland - RPS
Australian pacer Scott Boland, who recently played a key role in Australia's Adelaide Test victory against India, once featured in the IPL. He was bought for ₹50 lakh by the Rising Pune Supergiant in the IPL 2016 auction.
Boland played two games and picked up as many wickets at an economy of 7.71. Since then, he has not been seen in the IPL, with his last T20 appearance coming in January this year.