Aakash Chopra believes Chennai Super Kings should consider Ravichandran Ashwin as their next head coach. Speaking on his YouTube channel, the former India opener said Ashwin’s tactical ability, his bond with MS Dhoni, and his relationship with captain Ruturaj Gaikwad make him the right fit for the franchise after Stephen Fleming’s departure.
Chopra pointed to Ashwin’s experience running a coaching academy and managing a TNPL franchise as evidence that he is ready for the role. He described Ashwin as a “brilliant tactical mind” who thinks deeply about the game and already has a strong Chennai connection.
“Unhe team manage karna bhi pasand hai. Woh abhi TNPL team ke manager hain. Woh kyun nahi? Woh lambe samay ka investment ho sakte hain. Unhone Dhoni ke saath bahut khela hai. Woh Ruturaj ko bahut maante hain. Woh unhe bahut pasand karte hain aur mujhe lagta hai ki dono ki bhavnayein ek jaisi hongi. Toh Ravichandran Ashwin kyun nahi?”
Aakash Chopra, YouTube video, August 12, 2026
Translation: “He likes managing teams. He is currently the manager of a TNPL team. Why not him? He could be a long-term investment. He has played a lot with Dhoni. He respects Ruturaj a lot. He likes him a lot and I think both share similar feelings. So why not Ravichandran Ashwin?”
Chopra did not limit his suggestions to Ashwin alone. He also named Suresh Raina as a potential batting coach or mentor, and Hemang Badani as another Indian option given his Chennai roots and coaching experience with Delhi Capitals. To those questioning the lack of formal coaching experience, Chopra pointed to Ashish Nehra and Zaheer Khan, neither of whom had coaching backgrounds before taking charge of IPL franchises, and both delivered results.
Ashwin played for CSK from 2008 to 2015, winning two IPL titles under Dhoni’s captaincy. He returned for IPL 2025 before retiring from the league in August 2025. He retired from international cricket in December 2024 during the Brisbane Test. Since then, he has mentored Dindigul Dragons in the TNPL, leading them to a maiden title in 2024 as captain, and runs the Gen-Next Cricket Institute with centres in Chennai, Sharjah, and Maidenhead. He was also appointed head of the CSK Academy and High Performance Center.
Who will be the next head coach of CSK?
CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan has confirmed the franchise is looking for an overseas coach to replace Fleming. The final decision will come after consulting Dhoni and Gaikwad. Albie Morkel, who already heads the Joburg Super Kings in SA20, and Mike Hussey, CSK’s batting coach since 2018, are reported as the leading candidates.
Fleming left CSK in July 2026 after 18 years to become England’s Test coach. CSK finished eighth in IPL 2026, while their sister franchises in MLC and SA20 also underperformed under Fleming.
Chopra’s suggestion of an Indian coach runs directly against CSK’s stated preference. That gap between what outsiders recommend and what the franchise is pursuing is worth noting. Srikkanth, another former India player with deep Chennai ties, also discussed the vacancy but remained unsure about Ashwin for the role, instead favouring Rahul Dravid or Hussey.
Insider Read:
Chopra’s strongest argument is not about Ashwin’s tactical mind or his academy. It is about the triangle between Dhoni, Ashwin, and Ruturaj. Fleming succeeded at CSK not because he imposed his own vision on the team. He succeeded because he understood Dhoni’s cricket brain and operated as a facilitator. Dhoni made the calls on the field, set the tone in the dressing room, and drove selection instincts. Fleming gave that structure a framework and handled the parts Dhoni did not want to handle. That partnership worked for 18 years and five titles because both men understood their roles within it.
Ashwin played under Dhoni for seven years at CSK and across international cricket. He understands how Dhoni thinks about match-ups, how he reads a game’s momentum, and what kind of support a coach needs to offer without overstepping. No overseas candidate on CSK’s shortlist can claim that level of familiarity. Morkel and Hussey have spent time in the CSK setup, but neither has shared the kind of player-captain relationship that Ashwin and Dhoni built over years of high-pressure cricket together.
The Ruturaj factor matters equally. Gaikwad is the captain CSK are building around for the next decade. Chopra specifically noted that Ashwin and Ruturaj share mutual respect. A coach who already has the captain’s trust does not need a settling-in period. That head start matters when a franchise is trying to rebuild after its worst IPL season.
The real question is whether CSK want the same facilitator model or something entirely different. If they want a coach who operates independently, as Ashwin himself suggested when he said the next coach needs to “take accountability for his or her own actions,” then an overseas appointment makes sense. But if the plan is for Dhoni to remain the most influential voice in that dressing room, then Chopra’s logic holds. The coach who already speaks Dhoni’s cricketing language would spend less time learning it and more time applying it.
“If Dhoni is willing to do that, there is no better person that Chennai Super Kings can go after. If not, they need to find someone who will be able to operate independently and take accountability for his or her own actions.”
R Ashwin, ESPNcricinfo, July 2026
Ashwin himself has not put his name forward for the role. His public position has been that Dhoni should coach CSK, not him. Whether that changes if the franchise approaches him remains an open question. CSK have not made any official statement linking Ashwin to the coaching vacancy.
Sources:
Aakash Chopra, YouTube, August 12, 2026
Also Read:
- Ashwin Backs Dhoni as CSK’s Next Head Coach
- Ashwin on Dravid’s Coaching and Planning
- McCullum and Fleming in CSK Coach Discussion
- Bravo Returns to CSK as Bowling Coach
- Ashwin on BCCI Rule and Chief Selector Role
- Ashwin and England Test Coach Rumour
- Ashwin Reunites with Dravid as Dublin Guardians Captain
