In the hectic world of international cricket, only a few players have the tactical skills Ravichandran Ashwin. Despite currently being retired from international cricket, the veteran off-spinner remains a keen student of the game, often sharing masterclasses on social media. Recently, during the ongoing second ODI between India and New Zealand in Rajkot, Ashwin detailed an interesting tactical battle on his X (formerly Twitter) handle. darryl mitchellCalculative dominance over India’s leading wrist-spinner, -Kuldeep Yadav.
Ravichandran Ashwin tells how Daryl Mitchell handled Kuldeep Yadav in the second ODI
Ashwin never shies away from praising technical talent, even if it is from the opposition team. In a detailed post, he called Michelle “one of the most intelligent cricketers“Highlighted how the Kiwi batsman uses a high level of game awareness to maximize his potential.
The gist of Ashwin’s analysis focused on how Mitchell systematically took away Kuldeep’s rhythm. According to Ashwin, Mitchell is one of those rare modern batsmen who is not afraid to use his legs against elite spinners like Kuldeep or. Varun Chakraborty. Ashwin saw a typical sequence: Mitchell stepped up first to hit Kuldeep for a six. Anticipating that Kuldeep would respond by bowling the next ball faster and easier to prevent him from charging again, Mitchell stayed behind and deftly bowled the ball around the corner for a boundary.
“When explained, it sounds simple, but for a spinner to push that short square leg to short fine is an underrated aspect of the game.Ashwin said. By forcing the captain Shubman Gill Changing the field, Mitchell effectively neutralized the pressure, proving that his success is not just about power, but about psychological warfare.
Daryl Mitchell is easily one of the brainiest cricketers, he maximizes his potential using his amazing game awareness.
In this case: One of the rare batsmen who is willing to drop wickets to spinners like Varun, Kuldeep etc.
Step out hits Kuldeep… pic.twitter.com/qi1ZxeLTAk
– Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) 14 January 2026
See also: Harshit Rana destroys Devon Conway with a brilliant Jaffa in the 2nd ODI in Rajkot
Mitchell’s growing stature in ODI and form against India
Mitchell’s performance in the current series is no accident; This is a continuation of the gold rush that has seen him become India’s biggest thorn. currently ranked number 3 ICC men’s ODI batting rankingsMitchell is hurting the Indian giants Virat Kohli And Rohit Sharma For the top spot. His recent statistics against the Men in Blue have been staggering, he has averaged around 53 in the last few matches against them.
Mitchell has cemented his reputation as a big-match player by playing a brilliant inning of 84 runs in the first ODI in Vadodara. His ability to hold an innings while maintaining a strike rate of over 90 makes him a rarity in the middle order. Be it his two centuries during this period 2023 world cup Or his current tactical masterclass against India’s spin twins, Mitchell has proved that he has the technical hands to thrive in subcontinent conditions. As India look towards the 2027 World Cup, players like Mitchell are setting the gold standard for tackling high-quality wrist spin on turning tracks.
See also: KL Rahul celebrates memorable Rajkot ODI century in a special way for his daughter
