Former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has lashed out at Pakistan after their massive 61-run defeat to India in the Group A match of the T20 World Cup 2026 in Colombo on February 15. Ashwin believes that Pakistan lost the match to India at the time of toss.
Pakistan got a shameful defeat from India due to the call of toss!!
Former Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has pointed out that Pakistan made a big mistake by winning the toss and electing to bowl first against the Men in Blue in Colombo, especially where it had rained in the last few days. Ashwin has told that in the current tournament, especially R. At the Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, chasing the target has been a tough task.
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Despite this, Salman Ali Aga made this mistake and he had to pay the price for it. The Men in Blue, on the other hand, used the conditions smartly and posted a strong score. When Pakistan set out to chase the target, they looked confused and under pressure from the start and the required run rate kept increasing.
Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube channel, “Where did they plot to lose? Pakistan lost the game when they won the toss and decided to bowl first. We watched the match between Australia and Zimbabwe. Australia struggled to score 170 runs. When we watch IPL matches, teams win easily if they need 100 runs in the last 10 overs. But that is not happening in this World Cup. Is.”
Ravichandran Ashwin criticized Salman Ali Aga’s captaincy
Ravichandran Ashwin also raised questions on the captaincy of Salman Ali Aga. He believes that Pakistan did not utilize its bowlers optimally during the powerplay. He particularly highlighted the handling of Shaheen Afridi and said that the fast bowler was not used smartly when the Indian batsmen were attacking him.
The cricket pundit said, “At the Premadasa Stadium, you can’t chase 100 runs in ten overs. The way Pakistan deals with pressure, India are 100 times better in that regard. I don’t think Pakistan is up there. To be honest, Pakistan has got better tactically under Salman Agha and Mike Hesson. But the way they brought on Shaheen Afridi after Agha’s first over, that was a terrible mistake.”
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The situation became even worse for Pakistan in the death overs. India scored freely in the death overs and Afridi gave away a lot of runs in the last over, allowing India to finish with a big score. That strong finish made the target very difficult for Pakistan.
Shaheen Afridi’s mistake
Ravichandran Ashwin further mentioned how Pakistan made the mistake of sending Afridi in the final over when India was already at 159, and he gave away 16 runs in that over. Due to this, India finished with a very big score and ultimately it played a vital role in their huge defeat.
He signed off by saying, “I think cricketers need to be told, ‘This is your match-up.’ The figures tell the truth. If Shaheen was going to be dismissed, I would have liked to see him come round the wicket as a left-handed batsman. He did not do this and the second over should have been bowled by Sam Ayub.”