The career of former captain of the Indian team, Rohit Sharma, is approaching its end. Although he has already stepped away from tests and T20 international matches, numerous speculations surround his ODI career as well. In this regard, former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin made a significant prediction regarding Rohit.
According to Ashwin, once Rohit retires, he might take on an important role in the Mumbai Indians (MI) team. Under Rohit's leadership, Mumbai Indians have won the IPL title five times. R. Ashwin believes that allowing such a successful captain and a player with outstanding tactical acumen to leave the franchise after his career ends would be a serious mistake.
On his YouTube channel, Ashwin discussed the possibility of Rohit and Virat Kohli transitioning into coaching roles after their careers conclude. During this discussion, he offered specific advice concerning Rohit and the Mumbai Indians. R. Ashwin stated: 'If Rohit decides tomorrow that he will no longer play, Mumbai Indians should immediately sign him. A captain who has won five titles and a leader who brought India the World Cup are not easy to find.'
According to Ashwin, Rohit does not necessarily have to immediately take on the duties of head coach; he could be useful to the team in a mentoring role or another important position. He acknowledged that the role of head coach requires a lot of time and effort, so it is possible that Rohit may not want to take on such a large responsibility immediately after finishing his sporting career. Citing Rahul Dravid as an example, Ashwin noted that Rohit might return to cricket in a different capacity a year or two after retiring.
Ashwin believes that in the future, options in franchise cricket will not be limited only to the role of head coach; the demand for former players will increase in positions such as mentor, cricket director, and high-performance director.
Rohit Sharma's connection with the Mumbai Indians was not limited to just being a player; under his guidance, MI became one of the most successful teams in the IPL. This is why Ashwin views his strategic understanding as a valuable asset for the franchise. Ashwin emphasized that a team like Mumbai Indians is unlikely to let a player with such vision and understanding of cricket leave easily.
Ashwin also shared his opinion on Virat Kohli's future. However, he is not sure if Kohli will immediately move into coaching after ending his playing career. R. Ashwin said: 'I don't think Virat is ready to become a coach immediately. Both have worked very hard. Perhaps Rohit can take up some position in Mumbai Indians. As for Virat, I am not sure. In my opinion, Virat might want to take a break for some time.'
Ashwin believes that both these great athletes, after long international careers and constant playing, might prefer to spend some time off the field.
