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Ravichandran Ashwin, one of the best off spin bowlers of all-time, retired from international cricket midway during India’s tour to Australia last year, a five-match Test series for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy which the visitors lost 3-1. Since then, the 38-year-old stayed involved with cricket through the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which he played for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) during the 2025 season, but it wasn’t quite fruitful for him or the franchise.
Apart from that, Ravichandran Ashwin has been quite active on social media, and his YouTube ventures have been second to none, where he not only speaks about the sport candidly, but also breaks down matches on the go. Notably, after making his final international appearance in a day-night Test match at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide against Australia in December 2024, Ravichandran Ashwin ended up with 537 wickets to his name in 106 Tests for India.
Meanwhile, across the three formats, he played 277 matches for the Indian cricket team, taking 765 wickets, but as much as his numbers on the field were great, it was his tactical acumen and understanding of the game, which caught the eye of many as well, including his peers. During a candid Q&A session with ESPNcricinfo, when Indian cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara was asked about his choice for the future head coach of the national team, he had no hesitation in saying the name of Ravichandran Ashwin.
Gautam Gambhir is the current head coach of Team India
With Gautam Gambhir being the current head coach, who took India to a 2-2 draw in the Test series against England away from home along with new captain Shubman Gill, the chances of anyone taking his spot are slim for the foreseeable future. But, with the ability to think the game on a deeper level, utilising his playing experience to the fullest, Ravichandran Ashwin could easily become a candidate for the top coaching job in Indian cricket.
It will be interesting to see the progression of the Indian cricket team in the near future under Gautam Gambhir, who is trying to turn a corner in the longest format of the game after a dismal time just a few months, taking the Test team to the levels achieved in white-ball formats.
