Why did Ashwani Kumar miss CSK vs MI clash of IPL 2026?
(Courtesy : BCCI/IPL)
Ashwani Kumar featured in MI’s previous game against SRH.
The 44th match of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) is underway on May 2 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Both teams, who have witnessed dismal season so far, are clashing for the second time in IPL 2026.
MI captain Hardik Pandya won the toss and opted to bat first in the clash. At the toss, he informed that they have made two changes to their playing XI with left-arm pacer Ashwani Kumar missing being the big one.
Ashwani featured in the previous game against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). He was also part of the MI’s last game against CSK at Wankhede Stadium. He has played three games in the tournament so far, clinching six wickets at an economy of 10.20.
Why is Ashwani Kumar not playing CSK vs MI clash of IPL 2026?
Notably, the 24-year-old pacer has been dropped in the match and replaced by Krish Bhagat in the playing XI. Spinner Raghu Sharma was another player who was picked by MI.
Ashwani must have been dropped due to his poor show in the previous game against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Bowling two overs, he conceded 41 runs and wasn’t trusted to complete his quota of overs. This might be the reason for his absence from the CSK vs MI clash.
Despite posting a mammoth total of 243/5 vs SRH, MI suffered a humiliating defeat by six wickets. However, it is to be noted that all the bowlers failed to dominate SRH batters.
Kumar warmed the bench in the initial games and played his first encounter against the Gujarat Titans (GT) on April 20, where he clinched a fabulous four-wicket haul to play a pivotal role in MI’s victory.
Speaking about the changes in the playing XI at the toss, Hardik said, “So today overall, I think if we can play a better game of cricket, overall everyone can chip in, not drop those half chances, create half chances, score as many runs as possible. I think we will be in a good place. We have one debut. The leggie (Raghu Sharma) plays his first game for MI. And Krish (Bhagat) comes back for Ashwani”.
Why did Ashwani Kumar miss CSK vs MI clash?
Ashwani has been dropped for the match. He has been replaced by Krish Bhagat in the playing XI.
How many games has Ashwani played in IPL 2026?
The left-arm pacer has featured in three games and picked six wickets, including a four-wicket haul.
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Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.