'Coaching my future': R Ashwin reveals plans after IPL retirement

Ravichandran Ashwin has revealed that coaching could be the next step in his career after calling time on his Indian Premier League journey. The veteran off-spinner, who retired from international cricket last year, announced earlier this week that he would not be part of the IPL going forward, signing off with Chennai Super Kings, which is the franchise where his career began. Speaking on YouTube channel "Ash ki Baat", Ashwin admitted that he wanted to move on with clarity. “I am a very impulsive person. When I believe in something strongly, I run after it. Now I am running after joy in the game,” he said. The 38-year-old explained that the intensity of the IPL had become difficult to manage with age. Looking ahead, the off-spinner stressed that coaching could be a natural progression. “My next chapter could probably be coaching. For that, I consider this a very important tool. I would like to believe that the game is preparing me for it,” he said. Ashwin also revealed that discussions around a dual role had taken place during his stint with Rajasthan Royals. “Actually, when I was playing for Rajasthan Royals, we did broach this topic (of coach cum player). I won’t take names because it wouldn’t be right on my part. But we had discussions about whether one could play as a cricketer and also take up a coaching role at the same time. It didn’t go anywhere,” he recalled, speaking in the context of Shane Warne. He added that while the IPL may not offer such flexibility, opportunities abroad might. “All in all, in India and in the IPL, it is very difficult to explore such a role. But maybe elsewhere, if I am playing in another league, there could be a possibility of taking up some coaching responsibility. Every team will obviously have a coach, but for me it would be about learning, about contributing to the players in some way.” Reflecting on his experience with Tamil Nadu Premier League, Ashwin said it had already given him a taste of the coaching dimension. “In the last two years at TNPL, I have actually been in a captain-cum-coach role. There was no other coach, so I got a lot of opportunity to learn. The players are not at the IPL level, so you end up working more closely with them. In that way, when you go and play in different places, you meet fresh people, new faces, and you keep learning,” he said.He also said with a faint smile that the future could take him to Italy as well. "I could coach in the Italy Premier League. I'd be happy because its attached to cricket," he said. Over 16 IPL seasons, Ashwin played 221 matches, finishing with 187 wickets and 833 runs. Signing off on social media, he wrote: “They say every ending has a new start. My time as an IPL cricketer comes to a close today, but my time as an explorer of the game around various leagues begins today.”