Kings XI Punjab skipper Ravichandran Ashwin is reportedly on the verge of joining Delhi Capitals in an all-cash Indian Premier League trade (IPL) deal.
The 32-year-old has been associated with the Kings XI franchise since 2018 and has led the team in the past two editions of the IPL. According to a report by ESPNcricinfo, talks between the two franchises have been going on for months and a deal is now at an advanced stage.
Should Ashwin move to Delhi for the 2020 season, it will become the fourth franchise he has represented in the IPL in his career after previously turning out for Chennai Super Kings and Rising Pune Super Giants.
The India off-spinner has a total experience of 139 IPL matches under his belt where he has managed to pick up 125 wickets at an excellent economy-rate of 6.79 runs an over.
Ravi Ashwin (r). Image courtesy – @IPL/Twitter.
For Kings XI Punjab, Ashwin picked up 10 and 15 wickets in the 2018 and 2019 editions respectively but the team failed to qualify for the play-offs in either years. They finished seventh in his first year as captain in 2018 before ending up in sixth spot in the most recent 2019 edition.
Ashwin’s impending move to Capitals will add to an already formidable spin contingent at the Delhi franchise which also includes Amit Mishra, Axar Patel, Sandeep Lamichhane and Mayank Markande among others.
Kings XI, meanwhile, are expected to name KL Rahul as their skipper for the next IPL edition. The Mohali-based franchise had recently parted ways with head coach Mike Hesson and his support staff with new appointments likely to be made in the near future.
