In an ironic twist, Ravichandran Ashwin, a strong advocate for running out non-strikers who leave their crease early, found himself nearly facing the same fate during a Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) match on July 28. The incident, which occurred in Dindigul, attracted widespread attention from cricket fans and added an intriguing moment to Ashwin’s career.
The event unfolded during the 15th over of the first innings, bowled by left-arm spinner Mohan Prasath. As Prasath prepared to deliver the ball, he noticed Ashwin stepping out of his crease. Prasath stopped his delivery, alerting Ashwin, who quickly halted his movement. Replays showed Ashwin's bat just on the crease line, which could have resulted in his dismissal if the bowler had decided to remove the bails.
Ashwin is known for his controversial run-out of Jos Buttler in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019, a move that sparked debates about the 'Spirit of the Game.' Ashwin has consistently argued that bowlers should not be solely responsible for upholding this spirit, especially when non-strikers gain an unfair advantage by leaving the crease early.
In 2022, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) reclassified this type of dismissal from "Unfair play" to "Run out," encouraging batters to be more cautious about staying within their crease during the bowler's delivery stride.
On a different note, the Indian cricket team, under the new T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav and coach Gautam Gambhir, has secured a series victory against Sri Lanka by winning the first two matches of a three-match T20I series. They will face Sri Lanka in the final T20I on July 30, followed by a three-match ODI series starting on August 2.