Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will take on a captain-coach role with Dublin Guardians in the inaugural European T20 Premier League (ETPL), describing the opportunity as the next step in his
cricket journey after retirement from the IPL. Ashwin, who will lead the franchise owned by Rahul Dravid, said the dual responsibility is a natural progression from similar roles he has performed in domestic cricket.
The veteran spinner successfully combined leadership and mentoring while guiding Dindigul Dragons to their maiden Tamil Nadu Premier League title in 2024. He has also captained in 28 matches in the IPL.
“I think I’m at that stage of my career where I’d like to contribute more than just being a player,” Ashwin said after the ETPL player draft. “I’ve been a coach-cum-captain for the last couple of years in state cricket. It was a straight connection. Rahul had seen me do the job and was confident I could take it up. It’s a crossover into what I’d like to do next.”
“I’ve done that over the last four or five years in whichever team I’ve been a part of,” he said. “Whether I’m a player, mentor or captain, I’ll make the right decisions for the team, even if they involve myself.”
Dravid to stay away from cricketing decisions
While Dravid owns the Dublin franchise, Ashwin said the former India coach will not interfere in on-field matters, leaving cricket operations entirely in his hands.
“Freedom is very important when you’re running a cricket team,” Ashwin said. “Rahul has been very clear that he doesn’t want to involve himself in cricketing decisions, which is why I’m at the centre of it. I’ll take responsibility for building the squad and running the team.”
Ashwin believes the league can accelerate the growth of associate nations ahead of cricket’s return to the Olympics, with overseas professionals sharing their experience and work ethic.
“This will give players exposure to high-performance cricket under pressure,” he said. “T20 is here to stay, and leagues like this can help make cricket a truly global sport.”
