What Nobody Asked Is, Why Did Rishabh Pant Run?: Sunil Gavaskar On Eoin Morgan-Ravichandran Ashwin Row

Former Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar pointed out that Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant should be questioned on runnings the second run after a deflection against KKR.

In a match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals, a heated argument took place between Ashwin and Morgan overtaking a second run where the spirit of the game was once again brought to the question.

Ravichandran Ashwin- Eoin Morgan Spat

During the Delhi Capitals innings, Ashwin decided to go for a second run after a throw deflected skipper Rishabh Pant which didn’t go well with the KKR players.

In the final over, Tim Southee dismissed Ashwin as both the players had few words of exchange before Morgan took a go at the off-spinner. Both Ashwin were almost at each other’s throats only for Karthik to intervene to separate the two players.

Rishabh Pant was the one who was struck by the ball: Sunil Gavaskar

After the match, everyone either blamed Ashwin or took the Tamil Nadu bowler’s side in the controversial matter. But Gavaskar has a different point of view as he thinks that Pant should have stepped in to defuse the situation.

“What nobody asked is, why did Pant run? He was the one who was struck by the ball and if at all anybody should have known that the tradition is not to take the run after the ball is deflected, then it was the Delhi skipper. Maybe, in the heat of the battle and the anxiety to add runs to the team’s total, he took that extra run,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Mid-Day.

“But why blame Ashwin? He may not have even seen the ball hitting his skipper as he would be intent on getting to his end and may have only seen the ball that was away from a fielder and so responded for the extra run. Pant could have stepped in and defused the situation, but in the intensity of the battle and especially in the hot and humid desert atmosphere, it is extremely tough to keep a cool head, so he may have not realised what had happened,” explained Gavaskar.

Ashwin admitted that he didn’t saw the deflection happening but said even if he would have seen it, he would have gone for the run.

Also Read: IPL 2021: Ravichandran Ashwin Responds To Eoin Morgan For Calling Him Disgrace Over ‘Run Controversy’