One of cricket’s most cerebral minds is set to begin a new innings today. Following his retirement from the league after the 2025 edition, former India off-spinner and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) legend Ravichandran Ashwin will make his commentary debut in IPL 2026.
Known for his tactical acumen and storytelling, Ashwin joins an elite panel for JioStar’s special dedicated Hindi digital feed on the newly merged JioHotstar platform.
The ‘watch-along’ experience
Ashwin’s debut is the centerpiece of a specialised digital experience designed to provide fans with an “insider’s perspective.” He will be part of a high-octane Hindi panel featuring fellow IPL champions and legends, including Virender Sehwag, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, Umesh Yadav, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Aakash Chopra.
According to the network, this dedicated feed aims to regale viewers with “first-hand dressing room stories” and “never-heard-before tales,” moving beyond traditional commentary into a unique watch-along format.
‘Unprecedented Scale’ of Broadcast
The 19th edition of the IPL is being presented on a massive scale, featuring over 150 presenters and experts across more than 20 feeds.
Siddharth Sharma, Head of Content, Sports, JioStar, highlighted the vision behind this legendary assembly:
“As the TATA IPL continues to scale up in unprecedented ways, our push is to assemble legends and heavyweights of the league together in our studios in a way that will offer a unique insider’s perspective to fans, alongside also making the biggest T20 extravaganza more accessible to all.”
Tech-Forward Viewing: MaxView and Multi-Cam
Digital viewers on JioHotstar will have more control than ever before. The platform is re-introducing MaxView in both Hindi and English, alongside a multi-cam experience. This allows fans to toggle between five specific angles:
Hero Cam
Stump Cam
Batter Cam
Field View
Multi-view angle
Regional punch and inclusivity
While Ashwin headlines the Hindi digital push, the regional feeds have also been bolstered. The Tamil presentation will feature former Sri Lanka all-rounder Russel Arnold and RJ Balaji, while familiar faces like Navjot Singh Sidhu, Ajay Jadeja, and Kiran More return to the fold.
In a significant step for accessibility, the broadcast will also include two audience-inclusive feeds: Indian Sign Language and an Audio Descriptive feed.
The tournament kicks off today at 7:30 PM IST as Royal Challengers Bengaluru take on Sunrisers Hyderabad, marking the first time fans will hear Ashwin’s expert analysis live from the JioStar studios.