Overview
- Ravichandran Ashwin told viewers on his YouTube channel this week that Mumbai Indians should “immediately absorb” Rohit Sharma into a coaching or mentoring role once he stops playing and that Virat Kohli will probably want time away from the game before any coaching move.
- Ashwin framed his view as opinion rather than an announcement and spoke publicly on Aug. 13–14, with outlets reporting the comments as predictions not confirmed plans.
- Rohit, 39, is widely seen as being in the final phase of his career after retiring from T20 internationals and Tests, while his ODI future remains subject to selection discussion.
- Ashwin suggested Rohit might take a one-to-two-year break, citing Rahul Dravid’s break-and-return as a model for returning in a less demanding strategic or mentoring role.
- The comments highlight a broader trend where expanding franchise cricket creates specialist jobs—mentor, director of cricket, high-performance roles—that could change how retiring stars stay in the sport and how teams compete to secure their expertise.