The Mumbai Indians (MI) vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) matches in the Indian Premier League are usually fiercely contested. Although MI have a significant lead over RCB in terms of trophies, their rivalry remains one of the most intense in the T20 league. However, the IPL 2026 season clash between the two sides on Sunday saw the Bengaluru franchise absolutely batter Mumbai. According to experts like Ravichandran Ashwin, one of the biggest reasons behind RCB’s overwhelming victory was Hardik Pandya‘s captaincy, particularly the bowling options he chose against Rajat Patidar.
Former India spinner R Ashwin didn’t mince words as he highlighted the blunders Hardik made while selecting his bowling options. Ashwin, in a video on his YouTube channel, pulled up the scorecard of a Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru game from 2024, where Patidar had hit Markande for four sixes in a single over.
Ashwin questioned MI’s decision to hand the ball to Markande despite being aware of Patidar’s reputation as a monstrous hitter against spin. In the end, the RCB batter hit three consecutive sixes off Markande in the 11th over of the innings.
“This SRH vs RCB 2024 game was where Rajat Patidar announced that he is a spin hitter. He was hitting Markande into every corner,” Ashwin said in the video.
“There are some common things between these two big overs. The first ball was taken by Virat Kohli, he took a single, and everything else was the same. There he hit four sixes, here he hit three,” Ashwin highlighted.
Ashwin anna cooked the captaincy of Hardik Pandya in a very unique way without even taking his name pic.twitter.com/Z9ZA3gtR6O
— Kusha Sharma (@Kushacritic) April 12, 2026
“Not The Smartest Of Moves, Very Average”
Blunt with his verdict, Ashwin said this wasn’t the smartest of moves by Hardik, who played into Patidar’s strengths. Markande ended up conceding 40 runs in just two overs, at an economy rate of 20.00.
“Rajat Patidar is a monster hitter against spinners. When he came to bat, you gave the ball to Markande straight away? Not the smartest of moves. Very, very average.”
“It is very important to understand what Markande thinks. Patidar hit him and washed him in Hyderabad, and here, he hit him from the very first ball again.”
Even Mitchell Santner, MI’s second spinner for the game, conceded 43 runs, though he bowled his full quota of four overs. All in all, spinners alone cost Mumbai 83 runs in just six overs.
“Here, the difference is between 210 and 240. Mayank Markande: two overs, 40 runs. Today, the spinners went for 83 runs total. I think Santner went for 43 as well.”
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