Ravichandran Ashwin tipped to become head coach in IPL very soon

Former India National Cricket Team batsman Robin Uthappa has backed the legendary off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin to take over as the head coach of an Indian Premier League (IPL) team very soon.

Robin Uthappa said that Ravichandran Ashwin would be a "fascinating coach" and would find many IPL franchises that would be interested in having him in their setup.

Ravichandran Ashwin announced his IPL retirement in August 2025

On August 27, Ravichandran Ashwin announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League (IPL) and vowed to explore "the game around various leagues".

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He said goodbye to IPL less than a year after his retirement from international cricket, which he had announced during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 in December.

The legendary off-spinner started off his journey in the IPL with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and finished it with the same team, having been bought by the five-time champions for a whopping INR 9.75 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction.

Overall, the 38-year-old represented five franchises - Chennai Super Kings, Rising Pune Supergiants, Delhi Capitals, Punjab Kings, and Rajasthan Royals - in IPL.

He played 221 games in the marquee T20 league and bagged 187 wickets at an average of 30.22, an economy of 7.20, and a strike rate of 25.1. Notably, he ended his career as the fifth-highest wicket-taker in IPL history.

I think his legacy (as an IPL player) won't be as great as an international cricket player - Robin Uthappa

In a video shared on his official YouTube channel, Robin Uthappa, who shone for CSK in IPL, said that Ravichandran Ashwin's IPL legacy would not be considered as great as it was in international cricket, where he bagged 765 wickets in 287 matches.

Giving the reason behind his bold claim, Robin Uthappa said that Ashwin used defensive options a lot more than offensive ones in the Indian Premier League (IPL), which was completely opposite to what he did in the international cricket arena.

"I think his legacy (as an IPL player) won't be as great as an international cricket player because of the options he utilized after a certain point," Robin Uthappa said.

"He used a lot of defensive options in the IPL compared to the offensive options he used in international cricket, especially Test cricket. I wish he used his off-spinner a lot more. It's such a mixed bag for him in the IPL. A lot was happening to him through his IPL career as well. His primary skill became a secondary objective," he said.

He could be a head coach in the IPL - Robin Uthappa on Ravichandran Ashwin

Uthappa further said that Ashwin's journey in coaching and mentorship roles would be an interesting one and backed him to become a head coach in IPL as well. He said:

"I think he will make a fascinating coach. But I think his life is going to be way more enterprising than being stuck in a coach's job. He'll be a mentor of sorts. That will be a great role for him. He could be a head coach in the IPL. There could be some takers for him," he reflected.

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