Ex-Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was critical of Rishabh Pant for deciding not to pursue a Mankad against Digvesh Rathi. Ekana Stadium in Lucknow witnessed the incident during the final league game for IPL 2025 between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Lucknow Super Giants on Tuesday (May 27). In the 17th over while chasing, Rathi tried to have Jitesh Sharma run out at the opposite end, but Pant called off the appeal.
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“Digvesh said yes, he is appealing and approached the third umpire. The third umpire said that he has crossed his delivery stride, the batsman is inside the crease, I have a decision-Not Out,” Ashwin told journalist Vimal Kumar during a show on the former’s YouTube channel Ash Ki Baat.
Ash Anna understands the situation of the bowler.
Digvesh Rathi deserves a strong captain.
The majority of captains are batsmen & their mentality is the same. pic.twitter.com/B7UcjGHZXj---Advertisement---— SRH fan (@GappaCricket) May 28, 2025
“Now, what happened? The commentators on air said that “Rishabh Pant has withdrawn the appeal. What an amazing act of sportsmanship. Come on yaar, let’s grow out of this. Rishabh Pant is a fantastic cricketer. He scored his century in 61 balls, made 118 runs, fabulous, fabulous knock. I don’t think this will be the first, don’t think this will be the last.”
“Rishabh Pant will go on to do great things on the cricket field. I’m looking forward to the England Test series to see how he will bat. I’m a huge fan of Rishabh Pant,” added the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) all-rounder.
‘Stop This Vilification’: Ravichandran Ashwin
Ashwin, however, felt that Rishabh Pant should have backed the bowler and opined that Digvesh was humiliated. “But a captain’s job is to back his players and not make a bowler look small. Let’s stop this vilification of that youngster in front of crores and crores of people. Do we do that to anyone else? Why make a bowler look small?,” he questioned.
