Ashwin Mankads Buttler — IPL 2019

The "Mankad" dismissal takes its name from Vinoo Mankad, the Indian all-rounder who ran out Australian opener Bill Brown at the non-striker's end during India's tour of Australia in 1947-48. The dismissal had been legal since the earliest days of cricket, but it carried a stigma — the unwritten convention was that bowlers should warn batsmen before attempting it, and even then, many considered it unsporting.

R. Ashwin was one of cricket's most cerebral players — a thinking spinner who delighted in the tactical and philosophical dimensions of the game. He had long been vocal about the hypocrisy of criticizing bowlers for enforcing the non-striker run-out while ignoring the batsman's unfair advantage. For Ashwin, the Mankad was not unsporting — it was justice.

Jos Buttler, meanwhile, was one of the most explosive batsmen in world cricket and a key figure in England's white-ball revolution. His ability to accelerate in the middle overs was unmatched, and he was known for being an aggressive runner between the wickets — which sometimes included leaving his crease early at the non-striker's end.

In the match itself, Rajasthan Royals were chasing Kings XI Punjab's total of 184. Buttler had anchored the chase with characteristic aggression, and at 69 off 43 balls, he was threatening to take the game beyond Punjab's reach. Ashwin, captaining Punjab and bowling his off-spin, noticed that Buttler was gaining a significant head start by leaving his crease before the ball was delivered.

Ashwin later revealed that he had considered the dismissal before executing it. He had pulled out of his delivery stride on a previous ball as a subtle warning, but Buttler had continued to back up aggressively. On the fateful delivery, Ashwin made his decision: he would enforce the Law.

The fourth match of the 2019 Indian Premier League between Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur produced one of the most polarizing moments in T20 cricket history. What happened was simple in its execution but seismic in its implications — Kings XI Punjab captain R. Ashwin ran out Jos Buttler at the non-striker's end, a dismissal colloquially known as a "Mankad."

Buttler was batting brilliantly, having raced to 69 off 43 balls, and was threatening to take the match away from Kings XI Punjab. As Ashwin ran in to bowl, he noticed Buttler backing up significantly — leaving his crease well before the ball was delivered to gain a head start for quick singles and twos. Instead of completing his delivery, Ashwin stopped in his bowling stride, turned, and whipped off the bails with Buttler out of his ground. The appeal went up, and after a brief pause, the umpire raised his finger.

The reaction was instantaneous and volcanic. Buttler was furious, exchanging heated words with Ashwin at the crease. His face was a picture of rage and disbelief. He clearly felt the dismissal was against the spirit of the game, regardless of its legality. Buttler had to be ushered away from the discussion by teammates before he finally walked off, shaking his head.

What followed was one of the most intense debates in modern cricket. The cricket world split almost perfectly down the middle. On one side were those who felt Ashwin had violated an unwritten code of honour. Shane Warne was characteristically blunt, calling the dismissal "disgraceful," "embarrassing," and "totally out of order." Sachin Tendulkar, usually measured in his public comments, tweeted that Ashwin's actions were "not cricket." Several English former players and commentators condemned the dismissal as unsporting.

On the other side were those who argued that Ashwin was entirely within his rights and, more importantly, that Buttler was the one cheating by leaving his crease early to gain an unfair advantage. Harsha Bhogle pointed out the logical inconsistency of criticizing the bowler for enforcing a rule while ignoring the batsman's transgression. Former India captain Bishen Singh Bedi — who had himself Mankaded batsmen in his career — supported Ashwin emphatically.

Ashwin himself was unapologetic. In the post-match press conference, he calmly stated that Buttler had been leaving his crease early throughout the innings and that he had warned him by pulling out of his delivery stride on a previous ball. He argued that as a bowler, he was penalized for no-balls when his foot crossed the line by millimetres — why should a batsman be allowed to leave his crease by metres without consequence?

The incident reignited a debate that had been simmering in cricket for decades, tracing back to Vinoo Mankad's original run-out of Bill Brown in 1947. Every generation produced its own Mankad controversy, and every time the same arguments were rehearsed. The 2019 IPL incident, however, carried extra weight because of the platform — the IPL is the world's most watched cricket league, and the global audience for the debate was unprecedented.

The most significant consequence was the ICC's decision to clarify and normalize the dismissal. In the 2022 playing conditions update, the ICC moved the non-striker run-out from the "unfair play" section of the Laws to the standard "run out" section. The dismissal was no longer called a "Mankad" — it was simply a run-out. The message was clear: leaving your crease early is the batsman's problem, not the bowler's, and enforcing the rule is a legitimate cricketing act, not an ethical transgression.

“If it's in the rules, it's fair game. The batsman is the one cheating by leaving the crease early. I will not apologise for enforcing the Laws.”

“That's just not cricket. It's disgraceful. I can't believe a captain would do that.”

“I find it curious that we blame the bowler for enforcing a rule while ignoring the batsman who is breaking it.”

“I was warned in the past. But I was furious. I didn't feel it was right in that moment.”

The immediate fallout dominated cricket media for weeks. Every former player, commentator, and administrator was asked for their opinion. The debate broke along interesting lines — it was not simply a national divide. Many Indian voices condemned Ashwin, while several English and Australian voices supported him. The debate transcended nationalities and went to the heart of what cricket considered fair play.

Rajasthan Royals went on to lose the match, and Buttler's dismissal at 69 was seen as the turning point. Without the Mankad, Buttler was on course for a match-winning century. The result fueled the argument that the dismissal had a material impact on the game and was therefore a tactical decision rather than a petty act.

Ashwin's reputation was enhanced among those who valued intellectual honesty in cricket and diminished among those who prioritized tradition. He never expressed regret and continued to argue that the game needed to evolve past the hypocrisy of criminalizing a lawful dismissal.