Ravichandran Ashwin To Take Up New Role In IPL 2026

For the first time ever, former India spin maestro and CSK legend Ravichandran Ashwin will pick up the commentator's mic for IPL 2026. Ashwin, an accomplished storyteller and analyst of the game, will bring his insights to live action for the first time for JioStar. He will be joined by India and IPL legend Virender Sehwag, RCB legend AB de Villiers, ICC Men's T20 World Cup champion Irfan Pathan, CSK's IPL winners Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh and Faf du Plessis, and former RCB captain and mentor Anil Kumble.

JioStar's expert panel will be bolstered by seasoned broadcasters and former international legends such as Ravi Shastri, Sunil Gavaskar, Michael Clarke, Eoin Morgan, Aaron Finch, Dale Steyn and Kevin Pietersen, among many others.

Ashwin backed star batter Rohit Sharma to overcome his run of disappointing Indian Premier League (IPL) seasons and finally deliver a season where he will "really take it on" against bowlers, with improved fitness and a better headspace aiding him.

MI, the five-time champions, will start their season against three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Mumbai on March 29. Key to their bid for a sixth IPL title will be Rohit, who looks fitter than ever heading into the new season. Having retired from T20Is and Tests, this will be his first season as a one-format player. The only thing at this point that can stop Rohit from having a fine run in the IPL is perhaps himself, as he has not had a really good run in the competition over the last few years.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said, "I personally think this is going to be a season where Rohit will really take it on. He does not need to play cricket for the whole season. He is getting enough breaks. His mind is fresh. He is physically in a good space. He looks really fit. And I think this could well be a season where Rohit Sharma is going to bring back his T20 batting in the IPL."

"Let us not forget, Rohit Sharma the IPL batsman has not been quite present in the last few years. But this could be a great opportunity for him to really restore that. And I, personally, think he can go on to enjoy his season and do some incredible things for Mumbai Indians this season," he added.

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Ravichandran Ashwin IPL 2026 Cricket