Mumbai Indians’ start to IPL 2026 has been tough, with the franchise managing victories in only two of their opening seven matches. In the middle of the criticism is Hardik Pandya, whose batting returns and wicket-taking impact have both failed to meet expectations, while his captaincy has also come under scrutiny. Ravichandran Ashwin, the experienced Indian spinner, said he struggled to understand why Pandya chose to invite Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to bat first in Thursday’s game. Ashwin argued that Pandya appeared not to have taken a lesson from the earlier mistakes against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), even though both matches were played on the same kind of surface.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Ashwin revisited the MI vs RCB match at Wankhede Stadium. He said that under comparable conditions, Mumbai did not look comfortable while chasing a target of 241. Against CSK, however, the downturn was even sharper, with the Indians being dismissed for only 104.
“I am slightly underwhelmed. Hardik Pandya won the toss and handed the advantage to a team that has only won matches in this tournament by batting first. Do you remember the first game the Mumbai Indians played? They lost in a similar fashion against RCB. In that game, RCB batted first and did what Chennai couldn’t quite manage today because of the difference in batting depth,” Ashwin said.
“RCB has significant power hitting through to the end of the order, which helped them put up a big total. Chennai doesn’t quite have that same level of power, and Mumbai actually bowled a touch better today. Allah Ghazanfar and Ashwani Kumar did well, and of course we cannot forget Bumrah. That is why they conceded 208, but Mumbai still couldn’t chase it down,” he added.
Hardik’s tactical missteps highlighted
For Ashwin, the decision to send CSK in first was the key tactical problem, particularly given the precedent from the RCB match. He suggested that when facing teams capable of posting heavy totals—such as CSK or Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)—captains should generally aim to bowl first and force the opposition to chase.
“The pitch for that game and this game was exactly the same. Even then, Mumbai Indians failed to find any momentum. In the second innings, the surface became even stickier and slower. If you learn from the conditions, you realise that by winning the toss and bowling, you gave the advantage back to the CSK line-up. As I said, if you win the toss against SRH or CSK and there is no dew, you must make them bat second,” Ashwin remarked.
Ashwin also questioned the choice to hand the 20th over to rookie Krish Bhagat, despite Pandya having two overs remaining at his disposal. Bhagat went on to concede 16 runs in the final over.
“Look, I don’t have a personal relationship with Hardik, but I have always viewed him as a ‘Box Office’ player. It is easy to pick on him now. Regarding today, giving the ball to Krish Bhagat at the death—I know he went for 28 or 38 runs in his two overs—but a man who bowled to David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen in a T20 World Cup final should be bowling those overs himself. Krish Bhagat lacks that experience. I liked Krish; he bowled okay, but as a captain, you should shoulder that pressure. What is the worst that can happen? You go for runs? So be it,” Ashwin said.
Is captaincy pressure affecting Pandya?
When asked whether captaincy pressure might be influencing Pandya’s personal output, Ashwin pointed to the wider context of his appointment, including the backlash that followed the replacement of Rohit Sharma.
“Let’s look back. In 2020, the Mumbai Indians won the IPL and were the best team. Then they went two years without a title. Hardik Pandya then went to the Gujarat Titans, where he won one title and finished as runner-up in another. Clearly, this man knows how to win; it isn’t new to him,” Ashwin stated.
“But we must consider what happened after he returned to Mumbai via a trade. It isn’t just about results; it is a lot for one individual to handle. To come in and replace Rohit Sharma, a legend of the game, and then get booed by your own fans in your own stadium… that is an immense emotional burden. I won’t point fingers at the fans, but that is a great deal to deal with,” he added.
