R Ashwin had mankaded Jos Buttler during an IPL match in 2019.
Ever since Rajasthan Royals (RR) signed R Ashwin at the Indian Premier League (IPL 2022) mega auction, the Mankading incident featuring the veteran Indian off-spinner and Jos Buttler from IPL 2019 has been a constant topic of discussion among the fans and cricket fraternity.
Ashwin and Buttler are now set to play for the same team, the Rajasthan Royals (RR), in the upcoming IPL 2022, RR head coach Kumar Sangakkara has opened up about the relationship between the two legends.
He called the rivalry between the two 'electric' and stressed that it is important for both Ashwin and Buttler to talk about the mankading incident while saying they are both intelligent and committed cricketers.
Sangakkara told the Red Bull Cricket Room: “In terms of Ashwin (Ravichandran) and Jos (Buttler), the rivalry was electric. It was a part of that high-performance atmosphere at the stage that they play on. And they managed to deal with it in their own ways. I could've seen the reasons behind the MCC rule changes, it could've also been because of those kinds of moments that change perceptions.”
He added, “Jos and Ashwin are both highly intelligent and highly committed individuals with great values. To be able to talk about it in that way and come to terms with it is really important.”
Notably, Sanju Samson-led Rajasthan Royals (RR) will open their IPL 2022 campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on March 29 at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune.