Veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who bid farewell to international cricket last year and recently retired from the IPL, has finally shed light on his future plans.

Fans were speculating whether he would play in overseas leagues, but Ashwin himself has now revealed the direction he might take.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said that his next chapter in cricket could be in the role of a coach. He explained, “My next chapter may be coaching. I see it as a very important medium. I feel the game has been preparing me for this role.”

Ashwin also shared that talks about him taking on a dual role had come up during his time with the 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.

He further mentioned that although the IPL does not provide such flexibility, similar opportunities could be available in foreign leagues.

“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."

Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals have officially announced that Rahul Dravid will no longer serve as their head coach, meaning the franchise is in search of a replacement. Interestingly, Ashwin has already represented RR as a player and delivered impactful performances.

With Ashwin eager to step into coaching and Rajasthan hunting for a new coach ahead of IPL 2026, speculation is rife that he could join the Royals’ dugout. However, neither Ashwin nor the franchise has made any official statement regarding such a move yet.