Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Jul 2: Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin says his dual role as captain and mentor of Dublin Guardians in the European T20 Premier League (ETPL) marks the beginning of a new phase in his cricketing journey.

Speaking during a media interaction, Ashwin said the responsibility is a natural extension of the leadership role he has embraced over the past few years.

"I think I'm at that stage of my career where I'd like to contribute more than just being a player. For the last couple of years, I've been a coach-cum-captain in state cricket, so this was a natural progression," he said.

Ashwin has extensive leadership experience, having captained Dindigul Dragons in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) for eight seasons and guided the franchise to its maiden title in 2024. He also led Kings XI Punjab, now Punjab Kings, in the Indian Premier League during the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

The 39-year-old said leadership is not defined by a designation but by the ability to influence and guide the team.

"Leadership doesn't necessarily come with a title. I've taken on that responsibility over the last four or five years, whether in the IPL, state leagues or club cricket," he said.

Ashwin will work alongside Dublin Guardians owner Rahul Dravid, with whom he previously shared a successful coach-player relationship in Indian cricket.

He said Dravid has entrusted him with all cricket-related responsibilities, including team selection and strategy.

"Rahul has been very clear that he doesn't want to involve himself too much in cricketing decisions. I'll be taking responsibility for building the team and planning the strategy," Ashwin said.

Since retiring from international cricket, Ashwin has remained active in franchise cricket. He is currently representing the San Francisco Unicorns in Major League Cricket (MLC) 2026 in the United States. He was also set to feature for Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League but had to withdraw because of a knee injury.

In the inaugural ETPL draft, Dublin Guardians picked six players in the opening round — Ireland's Benjamin Calitz, George Dockrell, Matthew Hollard and Craig Young, along with Netherlands wicketkeeper Noah Croes and Scotland all-rounder Chris Greaves.