India’s premier off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin reckons that he is not much concerned about making a comeback to India’s limited-overs squad and his immediate focus is on the “big responsibility” of leading Kings XI Punjab in the upcoming season of Indian Premier League (IPL).

Ashwin, who was appointed KXIP skipper on Monday ahead of veterans like Yuvraj Singh and Aaron Finch in the squad, has lost his place in the Indian limited-overs squad along with all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. The cunning off-spinner last took the field in blue clothes in July 2017.

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Talking about the India comeback, Ashwin said, “I am not looking at this IPL for an India comeback. I go into the IPL with a mindset that I have every year. This season I have a big responsibility (captaining KXIP) and I am ready for the challenge. I am not looking for anything else. It (India comeback) will happen if it has to.”

Finger spinners Ashwin and Jadeja’s selection for ICC World Cup 2019 seems unlikely at the moment as the wrist-spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav is doing a phenomenal job for India. However, Ashwin and Jadeja’s performance in the IPL will play a crucial role for him not just as captain but also as a senior bowler who is ready to unleash leg-spin in the tournament to be played in April-May.

When asked about handling veterans like Yuvraj, Finch, Gayle in KXIP, Ashwin said, “Having played international cricket for close to 10 years, I don’t think I will have an issue (handling the senior players). I am also one of them. It is a strong squad and I feel all the big names you have mentioned will play an integral role.”

While Yuvraj is a certainty in the playing XI, it remains to be seen how the team management makes the best use of Gayle despite having an in-form opening duo of Finch and Mayank Agarwal at its disposal. KL Rahul is another batsman who could open for KXIP.

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Talking about the problem of plenty in the team, the Tamil Nadu spinner said, “I see it as a natural progression having played cricket for so long at the top level. I have always felt I had it in me to be captain. It is really exciting.”

Ashwin added that it will be a different experience playing for a team which is not Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who will return this season after serving a two-year ban. He said, “It was special to play for CSK all those years but now it is about doing the job for the team which went after me in the auction. All I can say is that it will be special to go back and play at Chepauk.”