'It's a Matter of Some Concern' R Ashwin's Warning to Trent Boult Early on in IPL 2026

MI began IPL 2026 in style with a six-wicket win over KKR. They won their opening IPL game for the 1st time in 14 years. Rohit Sharma was the star of the show with a brilliant 78 while Ryan Rickelton made 81. Shardul Thakur's 3/39 made MI's best bowler.

Ravichandran Ashwin Worried About Trent Boult

Despite the win, spin legend Ravichandran Ashwin is concerned about Trent Boult. The former New Zealand pacer conceded 38 runs in four overs and went wicketless. He was put under pressure by Ajinkya Rahane early on and bowled just one over in the powerplay. Boult completed his overs at the death.

"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 on his YouTube channel.

"But all in all, even after a lacklustre bowling performance, Mumbai won the match comfortably," he added.

"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," he went on to say.

Trent Boult's Recent Poor Form

Boult has not played international cricket since 2024 when he retired from all formats. The lack of game time is now showing. Just before IPL 2026, Boult played in the SA20 and finished with a mere eight wickets in 10 games. His average was a poor 43 and he had an economy rate on the higher side at 9.82. In the IPL, boult has played 121 games and taken 143 wickets at an average of 26.46 and economy rate of 8.38. Boult's best figures are 4/18.