“I am not a disgrace,” R Ashwin Responds to Eoin Morgan’s criticism
During the 41st match of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL 2021) season between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Delhi Capitals (DC), there was a heated debate between Ravichandran Ashwin and Eoin Morgan when the former was dismissed.
Tim Southee got involved as well as it was the Kiwi pacer who got Ashwin out. It took Dinesh Karthik to separate out the two. The heated conversation was the extra run that Ashwin and Rishabh Pant sneaked in on the last ball of the 19th over.
Pant tapped it to point off Venkatesh Iyer and came through for a single. The throw came in from Rahul Tripathi at the non-striker’s end and it hit Pant on the arm and ricocheted off. However, the two DC players ran across for the overthrow.
WATCH: Ashwin, seething from earlier sledge, gives Morgan a send off after duck
While there have been several instances of players not going for the extra run if it hit them, the law says that there can be runs for an overthrow if it hits the batter unintentionally. However, Morgan was pleased with the fact that Ashwin went for the extra run off the overthrow even after the ball hit Pant at the non-striker’s end.
Legendary leg-spinner Shane Warne took a massive dig at Ashwin for the same and felt Morgan was right while expressing his displeasure. In fact, the Australian media portrayed Ashwin as the ‘villain’ and mentioned that the Tamil Nadu off-spinner broke the ‘spirit of cricket’ again.
The world shouldn’t be divided on this topic and Ashwin. It’s pretty simple – it’s disgraceful & should never happen. Why does Ashwin have to be that guy again ? I think @Eoin16 had every right to nail him !!!! https://t.co/C2g5wYjeT6
— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) September 29, 2021
It hasn’t sat well with Ashwin and the 35-year-old has responded on Twitter about the incident. He sent out a series of tweets under one thread where he ‘stood up for himself’. He explained the incident and what went on. He didn’t shy away from expressing his views and he was disappointed by the fact that people are trying to discuss who the good and the bad person is after the incident.
Here is the thread that Ashwin put out on Twitter:
4. Did I fight?
No, I stood up for myself and that’s what my teachers and parents taught me to do and pls teach your children to stand up for themselves.
In Morgan or Southee’s world of cricket they can choose and stick to what they believe is right or wrong but do not have the— Mask up and take your vaccine (@ashwinravi99) September 30, 2021
There are millions of cricketers with several thought processes that play this great game to make it their careers, teach them that an extra run taken due to a poor throw aimed to get you out can make your career and an extra yard stolen by the non striker can break your career
— Mask up and take your vaccine (@ashwinravi99) September 30, 2021
Ashwin has constantly been under the pump for the ‘spirit of the game’. The off-spinner was criticised heavily for running Jos Buttler out at the non-striker’s end for backing up too far (Mankading) back in the 2019 edition of the IPL. In this thread, he admitted that according to him, ‘spirit of the game’ is nothing but, “Give your heart and soul on the field and play within the rules of the game and shake your hands once the game is over.”