Ravichandran Ashwin has raised questions about a captaincy call made by Hardik Pandya during the Indian Premier League 2026, pointing specifically to an instance in Mumbai Indians’ defeat to Chennai Super Kings. The former India spinner believes Pandya handed the most critical overs to a young bowler at a moment when the MI skipper could have taken charge himself.
Decision under scrutiny in the CSK chase
- After Mumbai Indians lost to Chennai Super Kings, the spotlight shifted to Hardik Pandya’s decision to entrust crucial end-overs to Krish Bhagat.
- Bhagat was used in the 16th over and again in the 20th over, conceding 31 runs in the two spells combined.
- Ashwin questioned the logic of the move given that Pandya still had bowling options available at the time.
- The debate intensified because, despite Bhagat going for runs, CSK went on to finish strongly—highlighting how expensive death-over bowling can be in T20 cricket.
Ashwin acknowledged that the discussion is easier in hindsight, but still argued that a captain with bowling ability should shoulder that pressure. He said, “With Hardik Pandya, I don’t have any personal relationship with him, but I always feel that he is a box-office player. It is easy to say things about Hardik Pandya now, but today, when he gave Krish Bhagat the final over, I admit that Pandya went for 38 runs in two overs. But if a player can bowl the final over of the 2024 T20 World Cup against David Miller, you can bowl this too, right?”
He further added that Bhagat’s inexperience may have played a role in why the move looked risky, even though Ashwin said he didn’t think the youngster was completely at fault. “Krish Bhagat does not have that much experience, I like how he bowled, he did not do too badly, but Pandya can take up that pressure. What’s the worst that will happen?” the spinner said.
Pressure, leadership and form concerns
Ashwin also suggested that the captaincy burden on Hardik Pandya could be weighing on his mindset. He referenced the emotional difficulty of taking over after Rohit Sharma and noted the backlash Pandya faced when he arrived at MI.
“What happened to Hardik Pandya after he came to MI after the trade, was too much for an individual to handle. You replaced a great like Rohit Sharma, and got booed by his own fans in his own stadium. That is a lot to deal with emotionally. You are only as good as your team as a captain,” Ashwin said.
On the question of form, Ashwin pointed to a season that has not been up to expectations for Pandya. However, MI coach Mahela Jayawardene backed the captain, insisting the situation is not a concern and that results have been impacted by inconsistency rather than any single issue.
“I don’t think, to be honest. It is not a concern. He started well… overall, we haven’t been consistent,” Jayawardene said.
Mumbai Indians will now turn their attention to their next fixture against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
