29 March PunjabKhabarnama : Ravichandran Ashwin has revealed that he feared the worst when he ran Jos Buttler out during the dramatic Indian Premier League match between Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals in 2019. Going down as arguably the most infamous dismissal in the IPL history, Ashwin ran Buttler out at the non-striker’s end for backing up too far during a game between the Kings (the Kings XI Punjab) and the Roya. Ashwin, who was the captain, sensed an opportunity and did what he felt had to be done in order for the Kings to pick up the win. As it turned out, the incident snowballed igniting the whole ‘spirit-of-the-game’ debate and bringing back the ‘Mankad’ mode of dismissal.
Over the years, Ashwin would become a master of inflicting such dismissals, setting an example for others to follow. As the cricketing world saw an increase in bowlers running out batters at the non-striker’s end, the MCC passed a law, deeming this mode of dismissal fair, legit and within the rules of the game. But still, everytime it happens, the bowler and the team are frowned upon, and irrespective of whether he is involved, Ashwin somehow emerges into the picture.
In a chat with Michael Vaughan and Adam Gilchrist on the Club Prairie podcast, Ashwin recalled the evening, saying the incident left everyone, including his own teammates shellshocked. However, as captain, Ashwin ensured he would take the blame for it and shifted everyone’s focus back on the job at hand – to win.
“I still remember that after running out Jos at the non-striker end, my team was flabbergasted. They were just looking at one another. I was the captain; they were looking at me. And I just called them into a huddle and said ‘You know what… cricket is a game where people are mostly afraid of being uncomfortable. And now, Jos is uncomfortable. He is gone there and is probably bashing me up inside the dressing room. I know now that he won’t do it because he is too nice a guy. But I know people are going to be angry. And anger brings about a lot of mental outbreaks. I told my teammates whatever it is, I will take the media on, handle it because it’s my job. But let’s now win this game. They were cruising. I do what it takes to win. And for nothing else matters,” the India off-spinner said.
As things happen in the IPL, Ashwin eventually left Punjab Kings for Delhi Capitals before being traded to Royals, where he is now teammates with Buttler. But that evening in Jaipur, there was no shortage of drama. Running in to bowl the penultimate ball of his last over, Ashwin stopped in his tracks, and after spotting an unaware Buttler taking a stride outside the crease, the bowler turned around and disturbed the stumps. The decision went upstairs to the third umpire and pretty soon, the OUT in red flashed on the big screen. Things got pretty heated between Ashwin and Buttler, and as the latter made his way back, he could be seen shouting and screaming.
The dismissal triggered RR’s downfall. Before the run out, the Royals were 108/1, needing some 40-odd runs in 24 balls overs, but once Buttler departed, PBKS squeezed in pressure and escaped with a 14-run win. “We won. Four overs, 45 to get and RR lost the game,” he added.
Ashwin defended his actions by calling it ‘instinctive’, but the incident led to a whole new debate, which five years later, is yet to be settled.