Pandya, who was again booed by the Wankhede fans, is currently caught in a perfect storm of poor personal form and questionable leadership. Ashwin, speaking on his YouTube channel, expressed surprise at Pandya’s decision to bowl first, which appeared to ignore clear signals from MI’s previous encounter, which was on the same pitch. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) Was against.

Ravichandran Ashwin questions Hardik Pandya’s tactical mistake in MI’s defeat against CSK

The main point of criticism of Ashwin lies in his understanding of the pitch conditions. In MI’s earlier defeat against RCB, the surface gradually became dull and sticky in the second innings, making 241 impossible to chase. Despite this recent data, Pandya opted to bowl first against CSK, who are adept at setting totals.

“I am a bit disappointed, Hardik winning the toss has given advantage to a team that has won matches only by batting first in this tournament,” Ashwin said.

However, MI’s bowlers, including young allah ghazanfar and always reliable Jasprit Bumrah Including CSK’s total of 208, less than RCB’s total, the result was a disastrous collapse. MI were all out for only 104, which proves Ashwin’s point that the pitch becomes a dangerous area for the team batting in the second innings. Ashwin argued that CSK or Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) Against high-energy teams like Australia, the lack of dew makes batting first an absolute necessity.

Ashwin talks about death over failure and Pandya taking the burden of leadership

Apart from the toss, Ashwin was particularly vocal about Pandya not taking responsibility during crucial moments of the game. New players for the last over of CSK’s innings. Krish Bhaskar The handing over was a big talking point while Pandya still had two overs to bowl. Bhaskar, who was clearly under pressure, gave away 16 runs, which was a moment Ashwin believes the captain should have handled himself.

“A man who bowled to David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen in the T20 World Cup final should bowl those overs himself,” Ashwin said, highlighting the difference between Pandya’s experience and his current on-field inactivity.

However, Ashwin also discussed the emotional burden the MI captain is currently facing. Rohit Sharma The transition from the era to the Pandya era has not been smooth at all. The experienced spinner admitted that Gujarat Titans Replacing a legend like Rohit after coming back from the IPL is creating an atmosphere of unprecedented hostility. While Pandya’s tactical mistakes are on the rise, the psychological impact of being booed by the home fans cannot be ignored, as MI struggles to find its identity in the 2026 season.