Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has retired from the Indian Premier League (IPL) and plans to play in other franchise leagues across the world, BBC reported.

Ashwin, 38, played for five franchises including the Chennai Super Kings - where he won the title twice in 2010 and 2011 - and is fifth on the all-time wicket-taker list with 187.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) does not allow any player in Indian international or domestic cricket to feature in overseas leagues.

"They say every ending will have a new start," Ashwin posted on social media, according to BBC.

"My time as an IPL cricketer comes to a close today but my time as an explorer of the game around various leagues begins today."