Former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin criticized Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya for his bowling decisions during the recent IPL 2026 match. Ashwin questioned why the experienced all-rounder avoided bowling the crucial death overs and put 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 visitors posted 207 runs after losing the toss and then bowled out the hosts for just 104 runs in 20 overs. Mumbai Indians are currently in eighth place in the table with two wins from seven matches.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ravichandran Ashwin was not impressed with Hardik Pandya’s decisions. He stated that Pandya should have bowled the final over instead of uncapped Krish Bhagat against Sanju Samson.
"With Hardik, 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," R Ashwin said.
"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 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?" he added.
Hardik Pandya Avoids Crucial Death Overs Against Chennai Super Kings
Pandya conceded 38 runs in his first two overs and did not complete his spell, despite Mumbai Indians needing experienced bowling at the death against Sanju Samson.Pandya gave the ball to Krish Bhagat to bowl the crucial 16th and 20th overs. The young bowler conceded 31 runs, including three consecutive boundaries, under intense pressure in the final stages of the innings.
With Pandya not taking responsibility, Sanju Samson dominated the bowling attack. He scored an unbeaten 101 off 54 balls, hitting ten fours and six sixes to take Chennai Super Kings to a strong total of 207.
Bhagat had impressed on debut against Gujarat Titans (GT), giving away just 10 runs. However, he was used in the powerplay in that game, unlike this high-pressure death-overs situation.
You Gave the Match to Them on a Plate - Ravichandran Ashwin on Pandya
Ravichandran Ashwin also spoke about the pressure on Hardik Pandya. He said that replacing Rohit Sharma and facing negative crowd reactions can affect any player. Ashwin added that a captain’s success depends on the overall team performance.
"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; it is a lot to handle. You are only as good as your team as a captain," R Ashwin explained.
"I still think CSK were short, but what can I say about Mumbai? There is nothing that this team lacks. The form of MI this year, you cannot afford to keep Will Jacks out. So, it was really underwhelming. Hardik Pandya, after winning the toss, put a team into bat first that have done well while batting first, you gave the match to them on a plate," he concluded.
Also read: Akash Ambani leaves Wankhede Stadium midway as MI collapse against CSK in IPL 2026
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