Ashwin heads down under for a “THUNDEROUS” season.

Veteran Indian off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who recently announced his retirement from the IPL has managed to bag a contract with the Sydney Thunders and will represent them in the upcoming season of the Big Bash league that kicks off in December.

While the final bits of the official contract that'll bring him to Sydney are still being sorted out, the 39-year-old is likely to join his new team post January 5 once he's done with his maiden stint in the ILT20. This could mean he might be potentially available to make his BBL debut a day later when Thunder take on Adelaide Strikers at the Adelaide Oval.

Joining the Sydney Thunders means he will share the dressing room with the likes of David Warner, Sam Konstas, Lockie Ferguson and Sam Billings. Ashwin will most likely replace Pakistan all rounder Shadab Khan.

Ashwin becomes the first Indian player to feature in the BBL and his arrival will open the doors for many other Indian cricketers to participate in one of the most thrilling leagues in the T20 circuit.

As one high-ranking official with one of the teams put it, "The moment Ashwin coming to the BBL became a possibility, we just had to jump at it as a league. Look, every team would have loved having him play for them, but ultimately we needed to make the most of this opportunity and bring him on board, regardless whose colours he ends up wearing."