Anil Kumble who has been appointed as Kings XI Punjab's head coach has called R Ashwin an “asset” to whichever team he plays for.

However, the former India legspinner is not certain about the 32-year-old continuing as captain of Kings XI Punjab in the next edition of the IPL. 

Although a call on captaincy is yet to be taken, Ashwin is no longer an automatic choice for the post.

“I think any decision on Ashwin or any other player is an internal matter of the team,” Kumble told Times of India. 

“Ash is a fantastic asset for the team. We all know his contributions for the Indian team over the last so many years. He has been a brilliant player for India but there is no certainty yet that he’ll be captain this year. Moving forward, we still haven’t taken any decision on anyone for that matter. We need to sit down with the board".

Ashwin led KXIP in the previous edition of IPL, where the team finished second from bottom with 12 points from 14 matches. 

Reports of Ashwin trading to Delhi Capitals also made the rounds before franchise co-owner Ness Wadia announced that he was retained.

As for Kumble, he had earlier served as a mentor with Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians. 

“I have always enjoyed being among the players,” Kumble added. “I may have been a cricket administrator and now a commentator, but it’s being on the field that I like the most. To contribute and give back the experiences I’ve had and share my thought process with the players. If I can help develop their game and fast track whatever they want to achieve, I’m always up for it.”

Kumble went on to coach the Indian cricket team between 2016 and 2017 before he unceremoniously stepped down from the post after, calling his relations with Virat Kohli “untenable.”