Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took the credit away from MI legend Rohit Sharma when he conveniently claimed that the team is not solely dependent on him ahead of their vital clash against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
The Mumbai Indians made a solid start to their campaign in IPL 2026 after they looked like the most promising side on paper. However, despite having broken the jinx of losing their opening game in a season, the Hardik Pandya-led side has struggled in their later matches.
However, ahead of the much-anticipated clash between the Mumbai Indians and their rivals, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, former CSK spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has opined that no team is dependent on just one player, especially not the Mumbai Indians.
According to Ashwin, the Mumbai Indians have a very strong and promising batting lineup and are not dependent on just one player. This statement has come ahead of the start of the high-profile clash between RCB and MI, the two most highly rated sides in the IPL.
These teams are great competitors, but the rivalry originally stems from two of the greatest stars of the game, featuring on the two sides. Rohit Sharma for the Mumbai Indians and Virat Kohli for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
"Mumbai are not dependent on Rohit. Sorry, I broke your pride. They are not dependent on Rohit. Mumbai have a really good batting unit," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
He then continued and highlighted MI's real concern: "I think what is letting Mumbai down is their bowling. Their spin department is not firing, and they are not able to support Bumrah as well. Their opening bowlers are letting them down slightly as well."
Ravichandran Ashwin calls for a daring swap in the RCB Playing XI
The former CSK star noticed the halt to RCB's winning streak, which led him to call for a change in the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He claimed that Phil Salt, the English batter, has not looked in the best of touch and has demanded a swap with Jacob Bethell.
Ravichandran Ashwin claimed, "If there is one thing I want to see from RCB is whether they would consider replacing Phil Salt with Jacob Bethell? It is a tempting option. Phil Salt is not looking all that great compared to how he was looking last year. It could be confidence as well?"
He also foresaw that if the Mumbai Indians manage to clinch a victory in today's game, then the points table will be tightened with tough fights that too this early in the tournament.
"If MI win, the table will really open up, and also after the LSG-GT game, it will be interesting to see how the table shapes up. The first week of IPL was not that great, I did not like it. Now it is getting hot," Ashwin concluded.
RCB vs MI match marks the start of the rivalry week in IPL 2026
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru are travelling to Mumbai to play the match at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, which has been witness to many high-scoring games between these two franchises.
With the amount of firepower these two teams possess, this game can also be anticipated as a high-scoring contest. However, eyes would once again be set on MI veteran Rohit Sharma and RCB legend Virat Kohli.
Rohit has been in charge of the tournament and scored a terrific 78 the last time the team played at this venue against the Kolkata Knight Riders. Several changes might also be made to the MI XI, as the likes of Mitchell Santner and Will Jacks are likely to return for them, while Quinton de Kock could be backed after Rickelton missed out on the runs in the last two encounters.
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