3 min learnUp to date: Apr 13, 2026 11:16 AM IST
Mumbai Indians’ choice to financial institution on spin towards the Royal Challengers Bengaluru who’ve not less than a few slow-bowling devourers backfired closely on the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday night time. Former India off-spinner R Ashwin slammed Hardik and MI’s tactical selections to feed spin to RCB skipper Rajat Patidar whose swashbuckling fifty pivoted the sport away from MI’s management.
Drafting in Mitchell Santner and leg-spinner Mayank Markande again into the enjoying XI on the expense of an extra seamer, captain Hardik Pandya opted to bowl first earlier than a mountain of runs buried the hosts to their third straight defeat.
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As Patidar – arguably the perfect batter towards spin within the league – walked in to bat at No. 3 within the eleventh over, Hardik instantly turned to leggie Markande who was taken to the cleaners. Ashwin slammed the odd choice from the five-time champions, contemplating Patidar’s prowess towards the tweakers. RCB ultimately piled on 240 on the again of robust knocks from Phil Salt, Patidar and Tim David earlier than proscribing MI to 222 within the chase.
‘Monster hitter’
“Rajat Patidar is a monster hitter towards spinner, and when he got here into bat, you gave the ball straight to Mayank Markande. We’ve to grasp what’s going on in Markande’s thoughts. He had overwhelmed him to a pulp in Hyderabad, and when Patidar got here in, he was given the ball straightaway,”Ashwin stated on his YouTube channel.
Markande conceded 40 in two overs, the margin Ashwin thought of the distinction between the perimeters. “Very very very very common, My head began spinning. This was the distinction between 210 and 240. MI’s spinners gave 80 runs in six overs,” he added.
Ashwin stated that MI are struggling to seek out their proper combos, regardless of possessing a robust squad this season, a helpless scenario echoed by skipper Hardik put up a 22-run defeat.
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“This was an vital sport for MI, and RCB confirmed that why they’re the defending champions. That they had a really robust sport towards RR, however to bounce again like this, it isn’t straightforward. It’s a bit stunning to me, MI have a squad, they’ve actually good gamers, however they’re simply not in a position to get it proper. It’s not occurring for the primary time, it has been occurring for 2-3 years now,” Ashwin stated.