Former Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin said Noor Ahmad is not bowling well amid IPL 2026. Aswhin said the mystery spinner is bowling average after CSK claimed a 23-run win against Delhi Capitals at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, on Saturday.

Ahmad returned with figures of 1-36 in three overs he bowled against Delhi Capitals as he was once again not at his best. The Afghanistan spinner has picked one wicket in four matches at a poor average of 147 and an economy rate of 11.30.

Ahmad had scalped 24 wickets in 14 matches in IPL 2025 and had ended as the second-highest-wicket taker of the tournament, but he hasn’t been able to replicate the same form.

Ashwin reckons DC’s finisher, Ashutosh Sharma, could have won the game for his team if he had not been dismissed by Ahmad. Ashwin praised Sanju Samson for guiding the Afghan spinner.

“There was a crucial point with Noor Ahmad. Ashutosh Sharma hit him for a six. After that Sanju went and talked to him, no one else came to Noor Ahmad. Noor Ahmad had not taken a single wicket, and he is not bowling well, his bowling is very average. If Ashutosh Sharma had played for 2 more overs, the game would have been over. The game could have slipped away from Chennai,” R Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

“Sanju told him to bowl away from him because Ashutosh Sharma he does not use his feet much, he just stands and hits. Ashutosh Sharma also made a mistake, hit it straight to the fielder in the deep. So, all of these little moments are quite important. Because when we played in RR, there was a lot of communication between us, we used to talk in Tamil,” he added.

Chennai Super Kings will next take on Kolkata Knight Riders at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, on Tuesday.