Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin believes Rohit Sharma could have a significant role to play in coaching or mentoring after his playing career comes to an end, with the former India spinner urging Mumbai Indians to bring their long-time captain into the franchise setup as soon as he decides to retire. Indian men’s cricket has gone through a relatively quiet phase over the past month following the Lord’s ODI against England, with IPL trade discussions and changes in international coaching setups dominating the conversation.
Against that backdrop, Ashwin was asked about the possibility of India’s two modern batting greats, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, eventually moving into coaching. While Ashwin could see Rohit taking up a role with Mumbai Indians, he was less certain about Kohli making an immediate transition into coaching. The former spinner suggested Kohli may instead prefer to step away from the game for some time. “I don’t think Virat will be ready to become a coach immediately," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. “I think both have worked a lot. Maybe Rohit Sharma could come into the Mumbai Indians in some capacity. I don’t know about Virat, honestly—Virat will probably want to take a break, in my opinion." Ashwin also believes the growing importance of franchise cricket could create more specialist positions for former players. He expects roles such as mentor, director of cricket and high-performance director to become increasingly common, giving successful cricketers multiple avenues to remain involved with the sport after retirement. Rohit, 39, is already approaching the final stage of his playing career. He has retired from both T20Is and Tests, while his future in the remaining format continues to attract attention. For Ashwin, however, Rohit’s tactical understanding makes him too valuable for Mumbai Indians to simply lose once he stops playing. The veteran batter led the franchise to five IPL titles and was also part of India’s successful run to an ICC World Cup triumph. “If tomorrow Rohit decides ‘I won’t play,’ Mumbai Indians should immediately absorb him," Ashwin said. “A captain who won five titles and led India to a World Cup—you won’t find such people. If he doesn’t want to be head coach because it’s a labor-intensive role, but after a one-two year break, he’ll be ready to take up a role. Like Rahul bhai took a break and then came back to work. So I think they should immediately absorb such cricketers and not let them go. And knowing the Mumbai Indians, they won’t let go of a player with Rohit Sharma’s thinking capacity," he added. Ashwin’s comments suggest he sees Rohit’s future involvement in cricket extending beyond the traditional head coach role. A period away from the game could allow the former India captain to recharge before potentially returning in a strategic or mentoring position. Kohli, meanwhile, could follow a different path, with Ashwin expecting the former India captain to take time away from cricket before deciding what comes next. With franchise cricket continuing to expand its influence, Ashwin believes retired stars such as Rohit and Kohli could have opportunities in several areas beyond conventional coaching, provided they are given the freedom to choose the roles that suit them best.