‘Did it to win, am proud of it’:R Ashwin opens up on 2019 ‘Mankading’ controversy; applauds Dhoni’s glovework behind stumps

Amid the ongoing IPL season, former CSK star Ravichandran Ashwin has spoken openly about the controversial ‘Mankading’ incident from 2019 during his time as Punjab Kings captain. Defending his decision, Ashwin stated that he had no regrets and said, ‘I did it to win, am proud of it.’ He also took the opportunity to praise MS Dhoni for his exceptional glove work behind the stumps. The incident occurred on May 25, 2019, in a match between Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings. Ashwin ran out Jos Buttler at the non-striker’s end while he was batting on 69 during a 185-run chase, sparking debates around sportsmanship. Despite the controversy, the move proved decisive as it helped Punjab secure a crucial win and earn two valuable points. ‘I Did it to win, am proud of it’ – Ravichandran Ashwin’ Speaking on JioStar’s ‘The Ravichandran Ashwin Experience’, JioStar expert and former India bowler Ravichandran Ashwin recalled running out Jos Buttler at the non-striker’s end:
“A lot of people talk about character, say this is wrong, or that the player is wrong. After hearing all that, I felt like doing it even more, not to prove a point to people. There was a moment when I was Captain against Mumbai, and we needed two runs. I was at extra cover and told the bowler to run him out at the non-striker’s end. The batter ran, but the bowler refused because people say it’s wrong. If the ICC felt this was an honesty problem, they wouldn’t keep it in the rules.” “If you need two runs off one ball and you start running early, whose fault is it? People say Jos Buttler didn’t try to run, but that’s not my problem. People also say I did it to win. Of course, I did it to win. What is there to be ashamed of? After I ran him out, I called the team and said, ‘This will look different to them, they will lose, don’t worry about the reaction, I will handle the media, we just have to win.’ And we won. So, there is no issue of character in this,” Off-spinner added further. CSK veteran shared his insight on ‘Spirit of games’ Speaking about the ‘Spirit of the game’, he said, “Other bowlers should also do it. Why don’t they? Because of the first thought that comes to mind, ‘What will people say?’ It has become a kind of societal pressure, whether it is right or wrong. This started with umpires asking Captains if they want to withdraw the appeal. If you withdraw, you are seen as good, which is also wrong, because you let your bowler down in front of everyone. This decision should belong to the bowler and giving out or not is the umpire’s job. Why make a rule so complex?” He further continued, “Like LBW, this is also out. Many cricketers tweeted that this is bad. My answer is simple: I didn’t steal, I didn’t do anything wrong, I played within the laws. Those who talk like this, I can file a case against them in court. What they are doing is character assassination. I am very proud of it, I will continue to be, and whoever does it, I will praise them even more.” Ashwin appluaded MS Dhoni’s glove work behind the stumps When he was asked about MS Dhoni’s glove work, he said, “His glove work has always amazed me. People talk a lot about his captaincy, and rightly so, the titles speak for themselves. But for me, two things stand out, one, how good a middle-order batter he was, someone who could take the game deep and finish it. And the second is his keeping against spinners.” “I haven’t seen anyone else like him. He never set the field for me. I would set my own field, and he would just say, ‘Don’t double-guess. Don’t pre-empt. If you get hit, it’s fine. If someone takes a risk, let it be. Just bowl to your field.’ He never came into my space because he knew I came prepared and had done my planning. He trusted that,” he concluded.