Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took away the credit from MI legend Rohit Sharma when he casually claimed that the team is not completely dependent on him ahead of the crucial clash against Royal Challengers Bangalore.
After looking like the most promising team on paper, Mumbai Indians have made a solid start to their campaign in IPL 2026. However, despite recovering from losing their opening game of the season, the Hardik Pandya-led side has struggled in their subsequent matches.
However, ahead of the much-awaited clash between Mumbai Indians and their rivals, Royal Challengers Bangalore, former CSK spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has said that no team is dependent on just one player, especially not Mumbai Indians.
“Mumbai is not dependent on Rohit” – Ravichandran Ashwin
According to Ashwin, Mumbai Indians have a very strong and promising batting lineup and are not dependent on just one player. The statement comes ahead of the start of the high-profile clash between RCB and MI, the two highest-rated IPL teams.
These teams are great competitors, but the rivalry fundamentally stems from two of the game’s greatest stars being present on both sides. Rohit Sharma for Mumbai Indians and Virat Kohli for Royal Challengers Bangalore.
“Mumbai are not dependent on Rohit. Sorry, I broke your pride. They are not dependent on Rohit. Mumbai have a really good batting unit,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
He then continued and highlighted MI’s real concern: “I think what is letting Mumbai down is their bowling. Their spin department is not performing well, and they are not able to support Bumrah as well. Their opening bowlers are also letting them down a bit.”
Ravichandran Ashwin demands bold changes in RCB playing XI
The former CSK star saw RCB’s winning streak come to a halt, which led him to demand a change at Royal Challengers Bangalore. He claimed that English batsman Phil Salt is not looking in good form and has demanded a swap with Jacob Bethel.
Ravichandran Ashwin claimed, “If there’s one thing I’d like to see from RCB it’s whether they would consider bringing in Jacob Bethel in place of Phil Salt? That’s an attractive option. Phil Salt hasn’t looked as good as last year. Could it also be confidence?”
He also predicted that if Mumbai Indians manages to win today’s game, the points table will be tight with tough competition, that too early in the tournament.
“If MI wins, the table will really open up, and after the LSG-GT game, it will be interesting to see how the table shapes up. The first week of the IPL was not that good, I didn’t like it. It’s heating up now,” Ashwin concluded.
RCB vs MI match marks the start of rivalry week in IPL 2026
Royal Challengers Bangalore are traveling to Mumbai to play the match at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, which has been witness to many high-scoring games between these two franchises.
Given the amount of firepower both these teams possess, this game can also be seen as a high-scoring contest. However, eyes will once again be on MI legend Rohit Sharma and RCB legend Virat Kohli.
Rohit has been in charge of the tournament and the last time the team played at this ground against Kolkata Knight Riders, he scored a brilliant 78 runs. A number of changes could also be made to the MI XI as they are likely to see the return of players like Mitchell Santner and Will Jacks, while Quinton de Kock could be in favor after Rickenbacker missed runs in the last two matches.
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