Mumbai Indians\u2019 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cI 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\u2019t quite manage today because of the difference in batting depth,\u201d Ashwin said.<\/p>\n
\u201cRCB has significant power hitting through to the end of the order, which helped them put up a big total. Chennai doesn\u2019t 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\u2019t chase it down,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
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\u2014such as CSK or Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)\u2014captains should generally aim to bowl first and force the opposition to chase.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 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,\u201d Ashwin remarked.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cLook, I don\u2019t have a personal relationship with Hardik, but I have always viewed him as a \u2018Box Office\u2019 player. It is easy to pick on him now. Regarding today, giving the ball to Krish Bhagat at the death\u2014I know he went for 28 or 38 runs in his two overs\u2014but 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,\u201d Ashwin said.<\/p>\n
When asked whether captaincy pressure might be influencing Pandya\u2019s personal output, Ashwin pointed to the wider context of his appointment, including the backlash that followed the replacement of Rohit Sharma.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s 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\u2019t new to him,\u201d Ashwin stated.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we must consider what happened after he returned to Mumbai via a trade. It isn\u2019t 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\u2026 that is an immense emotional burden. I won\u2019t point fingers at the fans, but that is a great deal to deal with,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Mumbai Indians\u2019 start to IPL 2026 has been tough, with the franchise managing victories in only two of their opening seven matches. In the middle…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":4884,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"IPL 2026: Ashwin Slams Hardik as MI Lose to CSK","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Ashwin questions Hardik\u2019s captaincy as MI falter again\u2014CSK win adds pressure on IPL 2026, with fans demanding answers and changes.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n