When Ankit Rajpoot Refused To Mankad Even After Ravichandran Ashwin's Advice To Do So

Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin’s decision to Mankad Jos Buttler back in IPL 2019 erupted a massive controversy – one that still does rounds. Though the Mankad dismissal is very much within the rules of the game, Ravichandran Ashwin faced accusation for playing against the spirit of the game, but the off-spinner defended it by claiming he would do it again when the situation arises. The 34-year old recalled an instance when Ankit Rajpoot did not Mankad the non-striker even when advised by him to do so back in IPL 2019.

Since Ravichandran Ashwin, who captained Kings XI Punjab in 2019, decided to remove Rajasthan Royals’ Jos Buttler using the Mankad mode in IPL 2021, the debate over the spirit of cricket attached to the method of dismissal has surfaced multiple times. The cricketing fraternity has been divided regarding that, with a few men claiming that batters should not be stepping out of the crease as when bowlers do, an umpire rules it as a no-ball. Recently, South African player Tabraiz Shamsi advised the bowlers to keep Mankading until batsmen learn to stay within the crease.

During a chat with Murali Kartik, Ravichandran Ashwin claimed that a batsman being asked to stay inside the crease feels like a hindrance to them and he feels it’s wrong for bowler not to run them out at the non-striker’s end. The veteran thinks that with the game being competitive, bowlers should be allowed to run out batters at the non-striker’s end. He narrated an incident after the Jos Buttler saga when he advised pacer Ankit Rajpoot to run out the last-wicket pair of the Mumbai Indians in a tight game. But Rajpoot declined the same.

“The batsman are so used to meandering along. Someone asking them to stay inside the crease itself looks like a hindrance to them. This is so wrong asking a bowler not to run batsmen out at the non-striker’s end. Especially, when the game is so competitive, I firmly believe that a bowler shouldn’t be stopped. After the incident happened against Rajasthan (Jos Buttler Mankading controversy), in the next match we were playing Mumbai. The last-wicket pair of Rahul Chahar and Alzarri Joseph were batting. One ball and two runs to win. I went to the bowler Ankit Rajpoot and told him, ‘these batsmen will be charging out to run. Just stop and send them back in if he (non-striker) starts running before you deliver’. He was scared and said, ‘No way, I won’t do that,” Ashwin stated.

The non-striker is at fault here: Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin further claimed that Ankit Rajpoot froze when about to deliver the ball and returned to the off-spinner and stated he would be the villain if he did it. The 34-year old made him understand by pointing out that what you doing is correct since the non-striker is at fault.

“He (Rajpoot) froze when he came to deliver. He came and said to me, ‘If I do this, it will create controversy and I will be made the villain. I told him, ‘what you are doing here is correct. The non-striker is at fault here,” he added.

Also Read: ICC T20 World Cup 2021: India’s Probable Squad For The Tournament