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The ‘no pads’ innovation: When non-striker R Ashwin went against the norm in a T20 final

by Wisden Staff April 12, 2022 - 10:50am 2 minute read

Ravichandran Ashwin, who became the first cricketer to retire out in the IPL, has previous for lateral thinking during the business end of a T20 game, dumping his pads in an attempt to run faster during the 2019 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final when his team needed three runs off one ball for a win.

Ashwin is known for going against convention while keeping within the game’s laws. Ashwin famously ran Jos Buttler out at the non-striker’s end during the 2019 IPL and he recently became only the second cricket in any T20 league to retire out after struggling for rhythm in his innings. In 2019, Ashwin had created a stir yet again, this time for running without pads with his team Tamil Nadu needing three to win off the last delivery during the SMAT final against Karnataka.

Chasing 181 for a win, Tamil Nadu needed 13 off the final over, with Vijay Shankar, who was batting on 43 off 26, at the crease along with striker Ashwin. Krishnappa Gowtham’s first two deliveries were sent for two fours by Ashwin, but Tamil Nadu were unable to get a run off the third ball, as the equation boiled down to five off three. Shankar was finally on strike for the fifth ball after Ashwin completed a single on the fourth delivery.

However, Shankar was run out on the fifth ball while looking to complete a second, leaving new batter Murugan Ashwin with three to get off the final delivery, with two needed for a Super Over. Before Gowtham got ready to bowl, India international Ashwin, who was at the non-striker’s end, removed his pads and was only seen wearing a helmet, in an attempt to run faster. Currently, there are no laws that force a batter to wear pads while batting.

Anjum Chopra, who was on commentary, stated: “Well, this is something different here. Ravichandran Ashwin has taken off his leg guards. He’s the non-striker, he had sent back the helmet as well, but has called back for it.”

However, Tamil Nadu failed to cross the line as M Ashwin failed to connect and the two batters could score only a single, handing Manish Pandey’s Karnataka a one-run win.