Former India and Chennai Super Kings spin legend Ravichandran Ashwin spoke out over Digvesh Rathi’s effort to mankad Jitesh Sharma in the 70th and final league stage match of the IPL 2025. The seasoned spinner supported Digvesh and used the MCC code as justification for his request to be dismissed. After facing criticism for his choice in front of crores of people, Ashwin appealed the fans to consider Rathi’s situation.
Ravichandran Ashwin was upset that the LSG captain did not support his bowler, even though he lauded Rishabh Pant for his performance and considered him to be one of his favorite players. Ashwin said it was a disgrace for Pant to not back his bowler, and it might even mean that he never did it again. He questioned why the bowlers shouldn’t perform Mankading.
“But just imagine Digvesh Rathi is your son, and his captain has criticised his decision in front of crores of people. It’s actually gone over the board. Because a captain’s job is actually to back a player. It is actually a humiliation. What happens is a bowler feels so small that he will never do it [again]. And people will come and say in the comments here that he should not do it. Why? Why should it not be done?”
Ravichandran Ashwin
‘You scar a bowler so much by doing this’ – Ravichandran Ashwin on Pant’s appeal withdrawal
In addition, the veteran stated that he had nothing to do with Rathi but was worried about his self-esteem following Pant’s retraction of his dismissal. Alongside Digvesh, Ravichandran Ashwin asserted that a bowler might be subjected to such humiliation since no one would object to the judgment being rescinded.
“Digvesh Rathi is not my relative, he is not my friend. I don’t know who he is. But I am saying, you scar a bowler so much by doing this, that it will really affect him. But because nobody really cares about a bowler, in front of crores of people, the appeal will be withdrawn, and he can be insulted like this.”
Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin also said that Digvesh’s attempt was useless under cricket rules and should have been abandoned. He believed that the LSG skipper didn’t need to end the call. Ravichandran Ashwin stated that Digvesh Rathi had not did wrong, thus he requested the supporters not to pursue the bowler. He requested that the glorification of Rathi for his choice be stopped.
“Let’s talk about cricket for a second. According to the Laws of the Game, it went upstairs, the umpire said not out, and it is not out. There is no scene of withdrawal [of the appeal] in this. We don’t know if this was discussed internally beforehand. But let’s stop this vilification of that youngster in front of crores and crores of people. Do we do that to anybody else? Why does a bowler look small?”
Ravichandran Ashwin
