GT vs MI IPL 2026: India's star fast bowler Mohammed Siraj had set his phone's lock screen to the 6-word image 'BELIEF'. This is what Ashwani Kumar's story was last night. He had registered match-winning figures of 4/24 during their IPL 2026 match against the Gujarat Titans and has scripted history for the Mumbai-based franchise this season. Although Tilak Varma was adjudged the Player of the Match award, Kumar gave the opponent a hard time during his first match of the ongoing season. It wasn't his first, but his second, four-fer in this tournament.

Ashwani opened up about the team's approach after losing four consecutive matches and said, "We kept analyzing where we were going wrong and worked closely with the coaches on correcting those mistakes. The most important thing was that our mindset never dropped. Even when results weren't going our way, the team's environment remained very positive, which helped us stay confident. We knew 190-200 scores were coming, but we stayed calm and stuck to our plans. There was pressure, but we didn't let it affect our mindset."

Bowling as an impact substitute during the match against the Shubman Gill-led side, Ashwani shone brightly with the ball. He had rattled GT's batting attack as he had dismissed Shubman Gill and the middle-order batters and helped the Mumbai-based franchise win the second match.

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It was his second four-fer in this tournament, as he had registered his first during his debut season last year, when he took figures of 4/24, which had gained everyone's attention. After playing in 8 IPL matches so far, he has taken 15 wickets at an economy rate of 17.07.

The Spell That Broke Gujarat

Ashwani's wickets proved to be a huge blow for the Gujarat-based franchise. He had dismissed Shubman Gill, who had mistimed the shot towards deep cover. Rahul Tewatia was the new batter, who was dismissed by Ashwani's lengthy delivery as outside off. After he had dismissed Shah Rukh Khan, the host had lost their last proper batter, and he then took Rashid Khan's wicket, who tried to go big during his over.

Preparation Meets Opportunity

As per him, this wasn't a sudden performance; he had built those skills over a long time."I was working a lot on my yorkers and my swing in the nets. Even when I wasn't playing, I stayed ready and kept preparing. The idea was that whenever I get the opportunity, I should be fully prepared to deliver", he added.

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His efforts paid dividends; whether it was aiming for the deck hard or adjusting to the lengths, he looked to be bowling in sync with the conditions.

Adapting to the Pitch

The surface in Ahmedabad posed its own challenges, and Ashwani adapted quickly.

"You go into a game with certain plans, but cricket is all about adapting. Once you see the pitch and understand the conditions, you have to adjust. I think adapting to what the wicket demanded was key to my success today", he said.

His adaptability led to disciplined bowling.

A Calculated Investment Paying Off

The Mumbai-based franchise had roped in Ashwani for Rs 30 lakhs during the IPL 2025 auction, and he can bowl Yorkers and offer variations.

After two seasons, he has repaid the management's faith in him. After having a dream debut during IPL 2025, Ashwani is now registering another match-winning performance, trying to become the bowler who can perform well under pressure.

And, as he puts it, his biggest highlight isn't just his performance but also the mindset of not panicking, just believing.