Famous commentator Harsha Bhogle has once again endorsed "Mankading" as just another form of dismissal that should be accepted by the cricketing fraternity without much controversy or deliberation over the unwritten "spirit of the game". 

In the match played between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings on Sunday (April 21), wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel inflicted a crucial run-out on the final delivery when in-form batsman MS Dhoni couldn't connect that ball with his team needing two runs to win. 

Dhoni smashed away 24 off the 26 runs that his team required for a victory from the first five deliveries of the over against Umesh Yadav, but the great right-hander failed to hit when it mattered the most, and was later denied a single that he tried to steal via a bye as Parthiv executed a direct hit to dismiss Shardul Thakur. 

But what if Thakur had backed up too far at the non-striker's end - running illegally out of the crease even before the bowler has released the delivery - to earn a massive advantage in his quest to take that single?  That's the point Harsha raised over Twitter in the aftermath of the what had transpired. 

"Now if, in the spirit of the game, Shardul Thakur had been allowed to steal six inches at the non-striker's end, and would, therefore, have made his ground, would that have been acceptable? That is why the law (that the batsman must not leave his crease untill the ball is released) is as it is and needs to be respected," he wrote. 

Before adding, "That is why, as soon as the non-striker tries to steal inches, the bowler must run him out. Will ensure that a run has to be fully run to be counted and bowlers are not vilified by the weight of convenient and antique thought."

Actually, "Mankading" has been a point of discussion around, ever since Kings XI Punjab skipper R Ashwin inflicted the controversial mode of dismissal against Rajasthan Royals batsman Jos Buttler when he was backing up too far in one of this IPL's match in Jaipur on March 25. 

While many people criticised the premier Indian off-spinner for going against the "spirit of the game", Harsha even then lent his support to Ashwin as his act was well within.