IPL 2025: “Humiliation for the bowler”- Ravichandran Ashwin slams Rishabh Pant over Digvesh Rathi's Mankad appeal withdraw
Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has opened up about Rishabh Pant's decision to withdraw the Mankad appeal by Digvesh Rathi against Jitesh Sharma. He slammed the LSG skipper, saying that it was a humiliation for the young bowler.
Digvesh Rathi stole the limelight with his antics during the game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The mystery-spinner during the fag end of the game mankaded Jitesh Sharma and it brought a massive tilt in the game. This was because Sharma was going great guns with the bat.
The big screen showed out and it left many stunned with the way Digvesh Singh mankaded Jitesh Sharma. However, to the surprise, LSG skipper Rishabh Pant withdrew the appeal, and the RCB batter was allowed to bat, and he won the game for his team.
You scar a bowler so much by doing this, that it will really affect him - Ravichandran Ashwin slams Rishabh Pant over Digvesh Rathi's Mankad appeal withdraw
Reacting on same, Ravichandran Ashwin, who always speaks about mankading, said that it was humiliation for Digvesh Rathi and he won't be able to do this again. He also added that Rishabh Pant's decision might also take a hit on Rathi's confidence. Speaking on his YouTube channel, he said:
"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."
He added:
"But because nobody really cares about a bowler, in front of crores of people the appeal will be withdrawn and he can be insulted like this. 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.”