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Ravichandran Ashwin says that Mumbai Indians will worry about Trent Boult after an expensive IPL 2026 opener vs Kolkata Knight Riders despite a comfortable MI victory.
Hardik Pandya talks with Trent Boult (Picture credit: AP)
Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has said that the Mumbai Indians would be a tad bit concerned about Trent Boult’s form, after the latter conceded 38 runs in his four overs in their first match against the Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday, March 29, in Mumbai.
Mumbai Indians had retained Boult ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction, but his lack of game time, after his exit from New Zealand’s central contract list, has left him short on match practice.
Boult entered IPL 2026 on the back of an underwhelming SA20 campaign with MI Cape Town, managing just eight wickets in 10 matches at an average of 43 and an economy of 9.82.
In the IPL 2026 opener, Boult struggled for swing and control, coming under early pressure from Ajinkya Rahane. He bowled just one over in the powerplay and completed his spell before the death overs.
“I was a little surprised, actually. Mumbai didn’t execute well in the power play. Trent Boult didn’t start well; it’s a matter of some concern. Allah Ghazanfar, on whom MI have had a lot of faith, his debut game also didn’t go so well,” Ashwin said while speaking on his YouTube channel.
“But all in all, even after a lacklustre bowling performance, Mumbai won the match comfortably,” Ashwin said.
Among the four pacers, Boult was the third-most expensive, finishing with an economy of 9.5. He conceded four fours but managed seven dot balls in his spell.
Meanwhile, Kolkata Knight Riders needed Varun Chakravarthy to lead their injury-hit attack while defending 221, but Rohit Sharma took him on early, leaving him with figures of 0/48 from four overs.
“KKR were very light in the bowling department today. Sunil Narine’s match-up against Rohit Sharma is really good, but they didn’t bowl him in the power play only. The way Varun Chakaravarthy’s form has dipped in the T20 World Cup 2026 has made a lot of difference,” Ashwin said.
March 30, 2026, 09:49 IST
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