Kings XI Punjab has put all the speculations to rest about the trade of R Ashwin to Delhi Capitals and owner Ness Wadia has confirmed that the off-spinner will continue with the Punjab based franchise.

Ashwin has led the team in the past two IPL seasons, where they have started amazingly well, but have failed to carry the momentum into the second half of the tournament and crashed out of the race for playoffs. They finished seventh in 2018 and sixth in 2019.

"The (KXIP) Board had a rethink and it realized that Ashwin is an integral part of the team. There were discussions with Delhi Capitals but those discussions never came to fruition. The way he plays his cricket and his performances speak for him," Wadia told PTI.

Ashwin has recently made a spectacular comeback into the Indian Test fold with a seven-wicket haul in the first Test against South Africa and more impressive bowling in the ongoing Test series.

This is a big decision for the franchise, who have named Anil Kumble as their head coach, who is the fifth person to take up this job in five years. "Anil is really a breath of fresh air. He is so cool, calm and collected. We are fortunate to have a relationship with him. Likewise, he sees it as an opportunity to take KXIP into something which it has the potential to be. Last two seasons, we were the best team in the first half but somehow lost focus and momentum in the second. I really don't know what happened," said Wadia.

"He will bring a lot of calmness to the team and discipline most definitely. He will inspire players to really optimize their own talent without trying too hard. His rich coaching experience will help us tremendously. We have a three-year contract and we hope to work together beyond that," said the co-owner.

(PTI inputs)