Ravichandran Ashwin gears up for his dual role as a captain and mentor for the Dublin Guardians in ETPL, calling it a โcrossover into what he would like to do nextโ, and feels that the new role is an extension of what he’s been doing.ย
“I think I’m at that stage of my career where I’d like to contribute more than just being a player,” Ashwin said in a media interaction. “And for whatever it is worth, even if it’s a state-run league, I’ve been a coach-cum-captain for the last couple of years that I’ve played my cricket there. So, it was just a straight connection.โ
Ravichandran Ashwinโs previous hand at captaincy.ย
The former Indian spinner has previously captained the Dindigul Dragons in the TNPL for eight seasons, leading them to their first title in 2024 and has led the Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in the Indian Premier League in 2018 and 19.
“I think leadership doesn’t have to necessarily come with the title. I’ve done that over the last 4-5 years in whichever team I’ve been a part of. Even in the IPL and after that, state leagues and my club teams,โ he added.ย
Ashwin to team up with owner Dravid at Dublin Guardians
Ashwin will be working alongside team owner Rahul Dravid, with whom he has partnered as coach and player. Given their former relationship, Rahul has given the teamโs on-field reins to Ashwin. The responsibility of building the team and forming the strategy lies solely on the 39-year-old.ย
“And I don’t think we’ve had too many issues at all so far. Rahul has been very clear that he doesn’t want to involve himself as much in cricketing decisions, which is why I’m at the centre of it. I’ll be taking responsibility for it, and I also have to construct the teams.ย
Since retiring from Indian cricket, this is Ashwinโs third commitment. He is in action for San Francisco Unicorns in MLC 2026 in the USA and was set to play the BBL with Sydney Thunder, but was forced to sit out due to a knee injury. And now in the ETPL, he will be seen in a dual role, leading the team as well as mentoring it.ย
Dublin Guardianโs first round picks
In the first round of drafting, the Dublin Guardians have selected six players so far, four from Ireland, and one each from the Netherlands and Scotland. Ireland players Benjamin Calitz, George Dockrell, Matthew Hollard and Craig Young will be taking up the roles of wicketkeeper, all-rounder and bowler respectively. Netherlands wicketkeeper Noah Croes and Scotlandโs Chris Greaves will also be seen playing for Dublin.
Written by Vipashana Thakur. Vipashana Thakur is an intern with IndiaTV Digital.
ALSO READ |ย Schedule for India’s Test tour of Sri Lanka announced, no mention of T20Is; check details