Ashwin on Kohli and Rohit as Coaches: “MI Should Immediately Absorb Rohit”

Ravichandran Ashwin believes Rohit Sharma should join Mumbai Indians’ coaching setup the moment he stops playing but does not see Virat Kohli taking up a coaching role anytime soon. Speaking on his YouTube channel Ash Ki Baat, the former India spinner drew a clear line between how he sees the two legends’ post-cricket futures.

Rohit is 39. Kohli is 37. Both are targeting the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa as what could be their final campaign with India. Ashwin, who shared the dressing room with both for over a decade, offered a pointed assessment of what comes after.

“I don’t think Virat will be ready to coach. Both have done a lot. Maybe Rohit Sharma can be seen in some capacity in Mumbai Indians. I don’t know about Virat, honestly. I think he would want to take a break.”

Ravichandran Ashwin, Ash Ki Baat, August 2026

On Rohit, Ashwin was far more direct.

“If tomorrow Rohit decides ‘I won’t play,’ Mumbai Indians should immediately absorb him. 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 labor-intensive role, but after a one-two year break, he’ll be ready to take up a role. Like Rahul bhai took a break and then came back to work. And knowing the Mumbai Indians, they won’t let go of a player with Rohit Sharma’s thinking capacity.”

Ravichandran Ashwin, Ash Ki Baat, August 2026

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The criccrak_ fan account shared this quote on Instagram on August 14. Ashwin made these remarks on his Ash Ki Baat YouTube channel.

Ashwin compared Rohit’s potential path to Rahul Dravid’s coaching journey. Dravid stepped away after retirement, coached India U-19 and India A, then became India head coach in 2021. Rohit’s five IPL titles as MI captain and his known habit of sitting with the analytics team to prepare match plans make him a natural fit for a similar transition within the franchise.

Will Virat Kohli Coach After Retirement?

Kohli is unlikely to move into coaching immediately after his playing career ends. Ashwin and former India head coach Ravi Shastri have independently reached the same conclusion. Shastri said in May 2025 that Kohli is “not the kind who would like to coach or take on the role of a broadcaster.” Kohli retired from Tests and T20Is, is currently based in London with his family, and his long-term future in the game remains an open question.

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The distinction is about personality, not capability. Rohit’s game was always built on process. He studies opposition plans, works with analysts, keeps the environment calm, and backs his players publicly. That temperament is coaching in everything but title. Kohli’s game was built on raw intensity and personal drive. That is not a flaw. It means he still has too much cricket burning inside him. A player who runs on that kind of fire does not walk off the field and sit in a coaching box the next morning. He needs time for that energy to settle. But the cricket understanding Kohli carries is deep, and once the intensity cools, there is every chance he returns to the game in a capacity that matches his nature.

Sources:
Ravichandran Ashwin, Ash Ki Baat (YouTube), August 2026

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