New Delhi, March 27 -- Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) bowler Ravichandran Ashwin has made a return to the Indian Premier League (IPL), which starts on Saturday, but in a brand new role, in the form of a commentator. Ashwin, who has played his first seven seasons with CSK, went to Punjab Kings, Rising Pune Supergiant, Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals, before returning to CSK in 2025.

The veteran spinner announced his retirement from IPL in August last year. In the list of commentators announced by the host broadcasters, Ashwin has been named under the Hindi category, along the likes of Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Sunil Gavaskar among others.

Among the retired Indian cricketers, Ashwin has a strong social media presence, including...