As Indian cricket enters a relatively quiet period, former spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has sparked an interesting discussion about the future roles of two of India’s biggest stars, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
Since India’s ODI at Lord’s against England, men’s cricket has been relatively calm, with IPL trade talks and changes in international coaching setups becoming the main talking points.
Ashwin, who has previously expressed his own ambition to become a coach someday, was recently asked whether Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma could also enter coaching after their playing careers. He feels Kohli may need some time before taking up such a responsibility, while Rohit could have a role with Mumbai Indians as soon as he decides to stop playing.
According to Ashwin, Virat Kohli is unlikely to immediately move into coaching. He believes both the players have already invested a huge amount of time and energy into cricket and may want a break before taking on another demanding role. In Virat Kohli’s case, Ashwin expects him to take some time away from the game before deciding what he wants to do next.
Ashwin also believes franchise cricket will become even more important in the coming years. With the growth of franchise leagues, he expects specialist positions such as mentor, director of cricket and high-performance director to become increasingly common. This could provide successful former players with several opportunities to remain involved in the game without becoming head coaches.
Rohit Sharma, who is 39, is already in the later stage of his playing career. He has retired from both T20Is and Tests, while his future in T20 cricket also remains uncertain. However, Ashwin feels Mumbai Indians should make every effort to keep Rohit involved once he retires. He described Rohit as a highly intelligent tactical cricketer and pointed to his success as a captain, including five IPL titles with Mumbai Indians and India’s World Cup triumph.
Ashwin believes Rohit Sharma does not necessarily need to become a head coach immediately, especially because the job can be extremely demanding. Instead, he could take a one- or two-year break before returning to cricket in another important role.
He compared the situation to that of Rahul Dravid who took a break before returning to coaching. Ashwin feels Mumbai Indians should similarly make sure they do not lose someone with Rohit’s experience and cricketing intelligence after his retirement.
Given Rohit Sharma’s long association with Mumbai Indians and his success with the franchise, Ashwin believes the team would also understand the value of retaining his knowledge and tactical thinking.
The bigger question now is whether Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will eventually follow the coaching path — and if so, whether their next chapter in cricket could be just as influential as their playing careers.
What do you think in this regard?
