Former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has stirred controversy by accusing the Mumbai Indians (MI) of match-fixing following the IPL 2025 Eliminator against the Gujarat Titans (GT). Ashwin, who was leading Punjab Kings (PBKS), recalled a match against Mumbai Indians that raised his suspicions.
Ashwin played for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2025 after being bought for ₹9.75 crores. However, he had a difficult season, taking only seven wickets in nine matches with an average above 40 and an economy rate of 9.12. CSK finished last on the points table for the first time in IPL history.
Watch: Ravichandran Ashwin Accuses Mumbai Indians of Fixing
After the MI vs GT match, Ravichandran Ashwin recalled an incident from a 2018 game between Punjab and Mumbai. Ashwin stated that Mumbai was struggling after 13 overs before the floodlights went out, causing a 20-minute delay. When play resumed, Mumbai staged a remarkable comeback.
“I have always seen this. Once in 2018, there was a game between Punjab and Mumbai. I was the captain of Punjab. In that game, Punjab was batting first and Mumbai was batting 13 overs and they were 80-odd for 5. It was not in the game. The current got cut. The current of the floodlights went off,” Ravichandran Ashwin said.
“There was a 20-minute break in the game. It started again. Kieron Pollard made an amazing parry. Mumbai made 200, I guess,” he added.
Ashwin brutally owned MI 😭🤣 pic.twitter.com/AcJwd6OlhS
— ` (@virxj_18) May 31, 2025
We Will Have to Find That Luck – Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin expressed his confusion about the unusual break during that 2018 match. He questioned how such luck seemed to favor Mumbai repeatedly, suggesting there was something unexplained about the way fortune appeared to come their way.
“I thought, how does this happen? You get a break like this for Mumbai Indians.
Of course, you earn your luck. But they also get luck. I don’t know. There is something. We will have to find that luck. How is it coming to them? I don’t know. We will have to find that luck. How is it coming to them?”
Mumbai Indians Secure 20-Run Victory Over Gujarat Titans in Eliminator
Mumbai Indians chose to bat first in the knockout match and posted a strong total of 228 for 5 in their 20 overs. Rohit Sharma scored 81 runs off 50 balls, including nine boundaries and four sixes. For the Gujarat Titans, R Sai Kishore and Prasidh Krishna each took two wickets during the innings.
In reply, Trent Boult dismissed GT captain Shubman Gill for just 1 run in the first over. Kusal Mendis added a quick 20 runs before being dismissed hit-wicket in the seventh over. Sai Sudharsan then forged an 84-run partnership with Washington Sundar (48), giving GT momentum in the chase.
Jasprit Bumrah broke the partnership by removing Sundar in the 14th over, shifting momentum back to MI. Sudharsan was dismissed for 80, leaving GT at 170 for 4. In the final five overs, Mumbai Indians’ bowlers tightened their grip, limiting Gujarat Titans to 208 for 6, securing a 20-run victory.