RR vs PBKS: Ashwin Warns Shikhar Dhawan for Leaving Crease at Non-Strikers’ End

The IPL 2023 game between Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings on April 5 was full of thrilling moments. One such moment came during the Punjab Kings’ innings when Ravichandran Ashwin issued mankad warning to Shikhar Dhawan as the Punjab skipper was backing up a bit too much in order to steal quick singles.

Punjab Kings got off to a flying start courtesy of an aggressive knock played by their young opening batter Prabhsimran Singh. At the end of the power play overs, the PBKS franchise were placed at a score of 63-0.

As the fielding restrictions were lifted, RR skipper Sanju Samson brought his most experienced bowler Ravichandran Ashwin into the attack. Ashwin had come up with a clear-cut plan to restrict the flow of runs as the pacers failed to do so.

Watch: Ravichandran Ashwin warns Shikhar Dhawan of mankading

The seasoned off-spinner bowled three good deliveries upfront as he gave just 2 singles and bowled a dot ball. Just when he started his run-up for the fourth delivery, he saw the Punjab Kings’ skipper backing up a bit too much on the non-striker’s end.

Ravichandran Ashwin then stopped in his run-up and issued a mankad warning to Shikhar Dhawan but opted not to run him out despite he had a clear opportunity to do so. Ashwin then gave Shikhar an intense stare and went back to his bowling mark.

Interestingly, just after Ashwin issued a mankad warning to Shikhar Dhawan, the cameraman put the spotlight on Ashwin’s teammate Jos Buttler. It’s worth noting that Ashwin had famously run-out Buttler in IPL 2019 as the off-spinner was the skipper of the Punjab franchise at that time.

Ravichandran Ashwin had reignited the spirit-of-cricket debate by running out Buttler in the Indian Premier League. Recently, ICC had made a change in its laws according to which running out a batter at the non-striker’s end wasn’t considered an unfair mode of dismissal.

Meanwhile, Shikhar Dhawan went on to play an unbeaten knock of 86 runs off just 56 deliveries including 9 fours and 3 maximums. Courtesy of his knock, the Punjab Kings posted a mammoth total of 197-4 in the RR vs PBKS game.