Bishnoi's spell cost India dearly in the Manchester T20I against England.
India spinner Ravi Bishnoi has come under scrutiny for his underwhelming performance in the second T20I against England at Old Trafford, Manchester on Saturday (July 4).
England’s chase of 191 got off to a shaky start as Arshdeep Singh dismissed openers Phil Salt and Jos Buttler for ducks in the very first over.
Entering at No. 3, captain Harry Brook single-handedly flipped the pressure back onto India by smashing a breathtaking 39 off just 15 balls. Following Brook's exit, Jacob Bethell teamed up with Tom Banton to anchor a critical 67-run stand that kept England's required run rate entirely manageable.
India regained control in the middle overs as Arshdeep returned to dismiss Banton for 39, while Varun Chakaravarthy removed Will Jacks for 9. However, in the 17th over, Bethell (76* off 46) slammed Bishnoi for 29 runs to tilt the game in England’s favour. The hosts eventually reached the target with four wickets and an over to spare.
Bishnoi conceded 60 runs in his quota of four overs and failed to claim a wicket. The leg-spinner also bowled three back-foot no-balls which cost India dearly.
Amid the severe backlash, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has thrown his weight behind Ravi Bishnoia, calling it disrespectful.
“It's very disrespectful. Out of 1.6 billion people, or probably even more now, one person is playing for India; that’s considered a legend. Since when has representing India become so easy? It's wrong. I'm not saying don't criticize players. Criticize them. But there's a huge difference between criticism and disrespect. Even this morning, I saw a video where someone was mocking a player through gestures. It's not nice. It's not in good taste,” Ashwin said in a video shared on his YouTube channel.
“I don't know where all this is heading. How are players supposed to deal with this constant trolling on social media? It's just not right. I don't know how we're ever going to teach people where to draw the line. Ravi Bishnoi is a good cricketer. Of course, there are areas where he can improve, and we've discussed those shortcomings before. That's fine,” he added.
In the same video, Ashwin also urged authorities to reconsider the sideline no-ball regulations, citing that bowlers are severely disadvantaged by small boundaries, flat pitches, and rules that protect batters.
“I think it's time to revisit the side-line no ball rule. It's such an old rule. Has anyone ever looked at T20 cricket from a bowler's perspective? Please do. Bowlers have very few options to work with. The boundaries are small, there's very little assistance for spin these days, and spinners are gradually losing their impact. Why wouldn't that happen when the conditions offer so little to bowlers?” he remarked.
India trail 0-1 in the five-match series against England. The third T20I will be played at Trent Bridge on Tuesday (July 7).