Ravichandran Ashwin Questions Mumbai Indians' Luck in IPL 2025

Ashwin's Controversial Remarks

Ravichandran Ashwin has stirred controversy by suggesting that the Mumbai Indians (MI) may have been involved in match-fixing following their IPL 2025 Eliminator against the Gujarat Titans (GT). The former captain of Punjab Kings (PBKS) recalled a match against MI that raised his suspicions. On his YouTube channel, Ash Ki Baat, he shared,

“In 2018, during a match between Punjab and Mumbai, I was leading Punjab. At that point, Mumbai was at 80 runs for 5 wickets after 13 overs. The game was interrupted when the floodlights went out,”

“After a 20-minute delay, the game resumed, and Kieron Pollard turned the tide, helping Mumbai score around 200 runs.”

Ashwin's Performance This Season

Chennai Super Kings acquired Ashwin for ₹9.75 crores for IPL 2025, but he has faced challenges this season, managing only seven wickets in nine matches with an average exceeding 40 and conceding 9.12 runs per over. This marks the first time the Chennai Super Kings find themselves at the bottom of the league table.

Reflecting on the MI vs GT match, Ashwin recalled the 2018 game where a 20-minute break due to the floodlights going out seemed to favor Mumbai. He expressed his disbelief at how such luck could benefit MI, stating, “It makes you wonder how they manage to get such breaks. They seem to have a knack for it.”

Mumbai Indians Advance to Qualifier 2

The Mumbai Indians have secured a spot in the second qualifier, set to face the Punjab Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. They triumphed over Gujarat by 20 runs in a thrilling match, with Rohit Sharma scoring 81 runs, leading MI to a formidable total of 228 runs. The Gujarat batsmen struggled, with Shubman Gill dismissed early and Sai Sudarshan unable to steer his team to victory.