"Rightly So": Ravichandran Ashwin On Jos Buttler Being "Upset" After 'Mankad' Episode In 2019 IPL

Ravichandran Ashwin and Jos Buttler will be sharing the dressing room for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2022 and fans are eagerly waiting to see how the duo gets along and puts in a collective performance for the franchise. Both Ashwin and Buttler were involved in the 'Mankad' episode in the 2019 IPL that captured the imagination of the entire cricket fraternity. Recalling the incident, Ashwin said that he felt Buttler was "deflated" and "quite upset" about the entire saga.

The off-spinner went on to say that he "totally understands" why Buttler felt that way because it's not something that "happens day in and day out"

The then Punjab Kings skipper Ashwin had run Buttler out at the non-strikers end after the England batter was out of his crease as Ashwin was about to deliver the ball. 

"When the incident happened, I think it was Jos who felt deflated about it and quite upset. Rightly so, because it's not accepted practice. It's not something that happens day in and day out. I can totally understand that. We'll have to wait and watch. But the pace at which the game is going, the professionals are evolving and how the players are perceiving the game, I just hope and wish that it is looked upon as a legitimate form of dismissal," Ashwin told The Times of India.

"But whether somebody chooses to do it, or not to do it, is entirely up to them and it's not a question of character assassination," he stated further.

It is important to note that 'Mankad' was legitimised this year by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and the body said that it is not considering the mode of dismissal as unfair play.

Talking about his dismissal in 2019 IPL, Buttler said: "If the batter just holds his ground till the ball is released, then there's never any issue. I've been run out that way twice in my career. So hopefully, I've learned my lesson now. It's hard sometimes to describe the emotion. You're trying hard for your team and you're always desperate to win. Of course, it's a surprise when you get out like that. It doesn't bother me what people's opinions are about it. If you just stay in the crease, then there's never going to be a talking point."

Buttler also said that he does not hold any grudge against Ashwin and is looking forward to sharing the dressing room with the off-spinner.

"I am not someone holding grudges. I'm excited for the season ahead. I'm excited to have Ash on my team. He is someone who wants to win. And I want to play with the best players. One of the great things that the IPL has brought to cricket is lots of people mixing with each other from different countries and sharing different ideas and beliefs," said Buttler.

Rajasthan Royals will play their first game of the 2022 IPL against SunRisers Hyderabad on Tuesday evening.

Rajasthan Royals Squad: Sanju Samson (c) (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Shimron Hetmyer, Devdutt Padikkal, Prasidh Krishna, Yuzvendra Chahal, Riyan Parag, KC Cariappa, Navdeep Saini, Anunay Singh, Kuldeep Sen, Dhruv Jurel, Tejas Baroka, Kuldip Yadav, Shubham Garhwal, James Neesham, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Rassie van der Dussen, Daryl Mitchell, Obed McCoy.

Topics mentioned in this article

Rajasthan Royals Sunrisers Hyderabad Punjab Kings Ravichandran Ashwin Jos Buttler Cricket IPL 2022