Even though the ICC amended its rule book last year and declared that run-outs at the bowler's end won’t be considered “unfair play”, this mode of dismissal still triggers the spirit of cricket debate.
On Monday (April 10), Harshal Patel attempted run-out at the non-striker’s end during the IPL 2023 clash Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at Chinnaswamy Stadium.
With one needed off the final delivery, Harshal saw non-striker Ravi Bishnoi leaving his crease early and tried to whip out the bails in his bowling stride but missed.
As expected, Harshal Patel’s attempt to pull off the run-out garnered mixed responses from the cricket fraternity but the RCB pacer received rich praise from Rajasthan Royals off-spinner R Ashwin.
“He (Harshal) just tried and he missed it, right? One ball and one run to win, the non-striker is definitely going to run. I would stop every time and run a batter out if that is the situation. To be honest, I do not see what the problem with that is,” Ashwin replied when asked about the incident on the sidelines of an event in Chennai on Tuesday (April 11).
“Whatever you do within that (the laws of the sport), it is completely fair. In fact, I was just watching the game and I was telling my wife: ‘He (Harshal) should run him (Bishnoi) out this ball’. I am very glad and so happy that a bowler had the courage to do it. I wish more bowlers do it.”
Ashwin also cited an example and explained how fine margins could be a decisive factor.
“In fact, Kings XI Punjab (Punjab Kings now, his former team) would have qualified [for the play-offs] in 2019 had we run-out Rahul Chahar (then with Mumbai Indians) at the non-striker’s end [in a match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai].”
The ‘Impact Player’ rule has been making headlines ever since the start of the Indian Premier League 2023 season.
According to the rule, each team can nominate as many as 5 substitute players along with their playing XI after the toss. One of them can replace a member from the original XI during the match and the player will be called Impact Player.
However, teams can’t replace a player with a foreign recruit if they have already picked 4 overseas cricketers in the XI.
Sharing his two cents on the aforementioned rule, Ashwin said: “These rules can confuse people and complicate it for them. I feel that this is a great innovation. I do not know if this is the right innovation, how comfortable we are with it. Innovation is welcome, right?”
(dtnext.in inputs)
