'It is actually a humiliation...' - Ravichandran Ashwin Blasts Pant Over 'Mankad' Appeal in LSG vs RCB Match

Digvesh Rathi, the spinner for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), was involved in a controversial incident during a recent IPL 2025 match between the LSG and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). At the non-striker's end, Rathi tried to run out RCB's substitute captain Jitesh Sharma, a dismissal known as a "Mankad." LSG captain Rishabh Pant later withdrew the appeal, a move that has generated a great deal of discussion.

Although Ashwin thought Rishabh Pant was one of his favourite players and commended him for his performance, he was upset that the LSG captain did not support his bowler. Ashwin said it was a disgrace for Pant not to back his bowler, and it might even mean that he never did it again. He questioned why the bowlers shouldn't perform Mankading.

Ravichandran Ashwin Slams Pant:

Ravichandran Ashwin, a former Indian cricket player who has been involved in such disputes in the past, openly questioned Pant's choice. Ashwin said on his YouTube channel that Rathi was humiliated by the appeal's withdrawal and that it might have a long-term impact on the young bowler's self-esteem.

He underlined that the responsibility of a captain is to assist his team, saying, "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. This could be Digvesh Rathi’s final game. It must have left a scar on a bowler that it will affect him. Nobody cares about a bowler, so it’s easy to insult a bowler in front of a million people. Let’s talk about cricket for a second. According to the law of the game, it went upstairs, the umpire said not-out, and it is not-out. There’s no scene of withdrawal."

The ' spirit of cricket' and the duties of team leadership have been rekindled by this occurrence, underscoring the fine line that separates sportsmanship from the application of the rules.

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