Former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has lavished praise on New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell, calling him a “brainy cricketer” who consistently maximises his abilities and remains a valuable asset across formats, especially in the T20 game.
Speaking on his YouTube channel ‘Ash ki Baat’, Ashwin highlighted Mitchell’s tactical awareness and adaptability, noting that the Kiwi batter can be relied upon to deliver consistent runs at the top order.
“Mitchell is a brainy player who reads the situation well and plays it properly. He doesn’t have a lot of power, has his limitations, but he maximises what he has. If you want someone to bat at number three or four and give you 400–500 runs in a tournament, Mitchell is your guy. Very underrated and brainy,” Ashwin said.
ODI Series to Remember in India
Mitchell recently enjoyed a sensational ODI series against India in Indian conditions, scoring 352 runs in three matches at an astonishing average of 176.00, including two centuries and a fifty. His back-to-back hundreds after New Zealand’s loss in the first ODI helped the visitors seal the next two matches and register their first-ever ODI series win in India since touring the country for the first time in 1988.
Four of Mitchell’s nine ODI centuries have now come against India, making him one of New Zealand’s most prolific run-scorers against the Men in Blue. His tally of centuries against India is second only to Nathan Astle (five) among Kiwi batters.
Among players with a minimum of 500 ODI runs against India, Mitchell boasts the highest average, ahead of greats like George Bailey, Gary Kirsten, Jacques Kallis, and Usman Khawaja.
T20 & IPL Numbers Back Ashwin’s Claim
Ashwin also reflected on Mitchell’s IPL stint with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in 2024, where he was bought for ₹14 crore. Mitchell scored 318 runs in 13 matches at an average of 28.90 and a strike rate of over 142, including two fifties. Despite solid returns, he surprisingly went unsold in the IPL auction ahead of the current season.
At the international level, Mitchell has scored 1,674 runs in 90 T20Is for New Zealand at a strike rate exceeding 138, with eight half-centuries and a best score of 72*.
Match Recap: NZ vs IND, Series Decider
In the final ODI, centuries from Daryl Mitchell (137)* and Glenn Phillips (106) powered New Zealand to 337/8, despite three wickets each from Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh. After slipping to 5/2 and later 58/3, the duo stitched together a commanding 219-run partnership.
India’s chase faltered early at 71/4, but partnerships of 88 runs between Virat Kohli and Nitish Kumar Reddy (53 off 57) and 99 runs between Kohli and Harshit Rana kept hopes alive. Kohli played a magnificent knock of 124, thrilling the Indore crowd, but once he was dismissed, India collapsed and were bowled out for 296 in 46 overs.
The defeat handed New Zealand a historic 2–1 series win on Indian soil.
