R Ashwin Slams Hardik Pandya Captaincy After MI Loss to RCB

Ravichandran Ashwin has criticised Hardik Pandya following Mumbai Indians’s 18 run defeat to Royal Challengers Bangalore in an IPL 2026 match, questioning his captaincy and tactical decisions.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said a key bowling change during the match proved costly. He criticised the decision to bring on Mayank Markande against Rajat Patidar, calling it a “childish mistake”.

Ashwin said, "Rajat Patidar is a monster hitter against spinners. When he came in to bat, you immediately handed the ball to Markandey? That wasn't a wise decision. This is very mediocre captaincy."

He referred to a past instance from 2024, noting that Patidar had previously dominated Markande. Ashwin said the same pattern was repeated in the match, with Patidar attacking from the outset.

Ashwin added that match awareness and player matchups were not considered. He said, "It's important to understand what's going through Markandey's mind. Patidar had thrashed him in Hyderabad, and here too, he started attacking him from the very first ball."

According to Ashwin, the pitch at Wankhede was not favourable for spin, which made the decision more questionable.

Mayank Markande conceded 40 runs in two overs, while Mitchell Santner gave away 43 runs. Patidar capitalised on the situation, scoring a half century off 17 balls and helping his team post a total of 240.

Ashwin said the decision allowed the opposition to build momentum at a crucial stage, which proved difficult to recover from.

The criticism comes amid ongoing debate over leadership within Mumbai Indians. Earlier, Ashwin had suggested that Suryakumar Yadav could be considered for a leadership role.