Former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin recently criticized Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya for his bowling decisions during the IPL 2026 match. Ashwin questioned why the experienced all-rounder avoided bowling in the crucial death overs and put the pressure on uncapped youngster Krish Bhagat.
Mumbai Indians lost to Chennai Super Kings by 103 runs at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday, April 23. The visiting team scored 207 runs after losing the toss and then bowled out the host team for just 104 runs in 20 overs. Mumbai Indians are currently eighth in the table with two wins from seven matches.
Ravichandran Ashwin criticizes Hardik Pandya’s captaincy after MI’s defeat to arch-rivals
While talking on his YouTube channel, Ravichandran Ashwin did not seem impressed by Hardik Pandya’s decisions. He said that Pandya should have bowled the last over against Sanju Samson instead of uncapped Krish Bhagat.
R Ashwin said, “I have no personal relation with Hardik, but I always feel that he is a box office player. It is easy to say anything about Hardik Pandya now, but today, when he gave the last over to Krish Bhagat, I believe that Pandya gave 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? Krish Bhagat doesn’t have that much experience, I like how he bowled, he didn’t bowl too badly, but Pandya can handle that pressure. What’s the worst that can happen?” He added.
Hardik Pandya avoids crucial death overs against Chennai Super Kings
Pandya gave away 38 runs in his first two overs and did not complete his spell, despite Mumbai Indians needing experienced bowling in the death overs against Sanju Samson.
Pandya gave the ball to Krish Bhagat to bowl the important 16th and 20th overs. The young bowler gave away 31 runs, including three consecutive fours, under immense pressure in the final stages of the innings.
Due to Pandya not taking responsibility, Sanju Samson dominated the bowling attack. He scored unbeaten 101 runs in 54 balls with the help of ten fours and six sixes and took Chennai Super Kings to a strong score of 207.
Bhagat impressed in his debut match against Gujarat Titans (GT) by conceding only 10 runs. However, unlike this high-pressure death overs situation, he was used in the powerplay in that game.
You gave him the match on a plate – Ravichandran on Ashwin Pandya
Ravichandran Ashwin also talked about pressure on Hardik Pandya. He said that replacing Rohit Sharma and facing negative reaction from the audience can affect any player. Ashwin said that the success of a captain depends on the overall performance of the team.
“What happened to Hardik Pandya after he came to MI after the trade was very difficult for any person to handle. You replaced a great player like Rohit Sharma, and you were mocked by your own fans in your own stadium. It’s a lot to deal with emotionally; it’s a lot to handle. You as a captain are only as good as your team.”
“I still think CSK were weak, but what can I say about Mumbai? There is nothing lacking in this team. MI’s form this year, you can’t afford to keep Will Jack out. So, it was really tremendous. After Hardik Pandya won the toss and asked to bat first against a team that had done well batting first, you gave them the match on a plate,” he concluded.
Also Read: Akash Ambani leaves Wankhede Stadium midway after MI’s defeat against CSK in IPL 2026
