Sehwag’s joke leaves Kartik awkward during MI loss analysis: 'Pass the Red Bull so I could splash it on his face'

Mumbai Indians’ struggles in IPL 2026 continued after a shocking defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday. After the game, an awkward moment occurred during a post-match analysis between former India players Virender Sehwag and Murali Kartik.

MI, five-time champions of the league, have not looked at their best in recent seasons. Since their last title win in 2020, the team has struggled to maintain consistency, managing just one playoff appearance in the last five editions. Even the captaincy change from Rohit Sharma to Hardik Pandya has not brought the results.

Their latest defeat only added to the concerns, as Mumbai failed to defend a massive total of 243 against SRH. One of the biggest talking points from the match was the decision to bring in Shardul Thakur as an Impact Player but not give him a single over to bowl.

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Sehwag and Kartik caught in awkward conversation

This decision was also discussed by Sehwag and Kartik during a show on Cricbuzz, where both seemed confused about the move. "Even I didn’t understand. Maybe they brought him in as an option, but perhaps they forgot about it or something else. I actually did not understand. Again search me, search me," Kartik said.

However, the conversation took an awkward turn when Sehwag interrupted and joked, asking for a can of Red Bull from the host so he could spray it on Kartik’s face. "Pass me that Red Bull, I’ll make him search. If I splash it on his face right now, only then he’ll search," Sehwag said.

The comment left Kartik awkward, as he responded by asking Sehwag to explain the situation instead. Sehwag then said that Shardul should have been given an over since he is a wicket-taking bowler. But when pressed for a clear reason behind MI’s decision, even he admitted that the answer lies with captain Hardik Pandya. “The answer to that question is with Hardik Pandya,” Sehwag said.

Mumbai Indians now find themselves in a difficult position in the IPL 2026 points table, sitting near the bottom with just two wins from eight matches. With the tournament entering the final phase, every game from here becomes a must-win for the five-time champions if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive.