Delhi Capitals off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who opted against using the Mankad dismissal to run out Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Aaron Finch on Monday, warned batsmen in the IPL that they shouldn’t expect a repeat of his largesse.
After the match, Ashwin tweeted that it was the “first and final warning of 2020”, and tagged his Delhi coach, Ricky Ponting, who had made his stand against the dismissal clear before the tournament.
In choosing not to run Finch out for backing up too far, Ashwin seemed to defer to the thinking of Ponting, but he insisted in his post that he hadn’t had a change of heart on the issue.
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The dismissal, where the bowler runs out the non-striker for backing up too far, while well within the laws of the game, triggers strong criticism from some in the cricket community as being against the ‘spirit of the game’. Ashwin has been a firm supporter of it, having created headlines when he dismissed Jos Buttler in that fashion during IPL 2019.
Tweeting after the match, Ashwin said: “Let’s make it clear !! First and final warning for 2020. I am making it official and don’t blame me later on. @RickyPonting #runout #nonstriker @AaronFinch5 and I are good buddies btw #IPL2020”.
Let’s make it clear !! First and final warning for 2020. I am making it official and don’t blame me later on. @RickyPonting #runout #nonstriker @AaronFinch5 and I are good buddies btw.😂😂 #IPL2020
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) October 5, 2020
Ponting is among those who isn’t a fan of the dismissal. Before the tournament, a lot of focus was on the differing opinion within the Delhi team on the topic, as Ponting had said that he would talk Ashwin out of using the method as “it’s not within the spirit of the game”.
Ashwin, in turn, had stuck by his stance on the Mankad dismissal. He later said that he and Ponting had “a refreshing and interesting chat”, before Ponting admitted he found Ashwin’s stand logical, and that they both were “on the same page”.
