Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has strongly urged Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Mumbai Indians to immediately integrate veteran opener Rohit Sharma into their backroom staff once he brings the curtain down on his illustrious playing career.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin shared his perspective on how India's modern batting icons, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, might transition once their playing days conclude. While Ashwin expects Kohli to step away from the sport for a period of rest, he believes Rohit's sharp tactical acumen makes him an invaluable asset for Mumbai Indians.

'Mumbai Indians Should Immediately Absorb Him'

Ashwin emphasised that a leader of Rohit's pedigree—having guided Mumbai Indians to five IPL titles and captained India to ICC World Cup success—should never be allowed to walk away from the setup entirely.

“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 labour-intensive role, after a one-to-two-year break, he’ll be ready to take up a role. Like Rahul [Dravid] 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.”

Contrasting Paths for Rohit and Kohli

When asked whether both Rohit and Kohli could quickly transition into major coaching roles, Ashwin offered contrasting forecasts for the two stalwarts.

“I don’t think Virat will be ready to become a coach immediately,” Ashwin noted. “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 highlighted that modern franchise cricket now offers a broad spectrum of specialist off-field roles, including team mentorship, director of cricket, and high-performance leadership. These pathways provide seasoned stars the flexibility to remain involved in elite cricket on their own terms without necessarily enduring the demanding day-to-day grind of a traditional head coach.