New Delhi, May 28 (IANS) Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has criticised Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain Rishabh Pant for withdrawing the appeal of a run-out from the non-striker’s end during their final Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 game against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

During the match at the BRSABV Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, on the fifth ball of the 17th over of RCB’s chase, spinner Digvesh Rathi pulled out of his bowling action and inflicted a run-out of PBKS stand-in captain Jitesh Sharma at the non-striker’s end. Rathi appealed for it, which was then referred to the third umpire, who ruled Jitesh not out as the bowler had seemingly completed his delivery stride.

Even if the third umpire had ruled Jitesh out, the wicketkeeper-batter would have been safe as Pant told the on-field umpires that he would be withdrawing the appeal. Pant’s decision was labelled as a great act of sportsmanship by on-air commentators, but it didn’t please Ashwin, who caused the run-out of Jos Buttler in a similar fashion in IPL 2019.

While Digvesh wanted to go for the review, Rishabh Pant decided against doing so. Nevertheless, the on-field umpires sent it to the third umpire for a check, and it was deemed not out.

“Digvesh Rathi landed on his front foot, and Jitesh Sharma was inside his crease. So, in all technical possibilities, this is not out. After hitting the stumps, Michael Gough asked Digvesh Rathi whether he was appealing, and not ‘are you sure’. 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. 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 The commentators on air said that ‘Rishabh Pant has withdrawn the appeal.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 and made 118 runs, a 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,” said Ashwin on his YouTube channel.

Incidentally, Jitesh went on to make an unbeaten 85 off just 33 balls as RCB beat LSG by six wickets and sealed their Qualifier 1 meeting with Punjab Kings at Mullanpur in New Chandigarh on Thursday.

Ashwin, who retired from international cricket last year during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia, felt that Pant should have backed Rathi, citing that withdrawing the appeal was a humiliation of the bowler who had been one of the finds for LSG in IPL 2025.

“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? 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? 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,” he concluded.

–IANS

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