Former India spinner R Ashwin shared his views on the recent run-out controversy between Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma during the first ODI of the three-match series between India and Afghanistan.

This game was played in Dharamshala and was reduced to 25 overs per side due to rain. India captain Shubman Gill won the toss and chose to bowl first. Afghanistan made 194 runs thanks to a 51-ball 102 runs by Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who hit 8 fours and 8 sixes in his knock.

India started well with Rohit Sharma hitting two fours and 1 six in his 16-ball 16 runs before he was run out after a messy mix-up with Shubman Gill. Gill made up for his folly, as he remained unbeaten on 84 as India won the game by 7 wickets.

After tapping the ball in the direction of mid-on, Rohit Sharma ran off for a single during the sixth over of the run chase. After viewing the ball and being stopped by bowler Allah Ghazanfar on his follow-through, Shubman Gill, the non-striker, was not in agreement.

It turned out to be too late when Rohit Sharma returned. The Hitman made a heroic last-ditch effort, but he was far from the crease and had to go for a run-a-ball 16.

R. Ashwin stated that he did not want to point blame in this unpleasant situation but added that Rohit Sharma was flawless and helpless because it was his decision as the striker.

"I had seen that run-out live on broadcast, and I don't know when the audiences will realize that when you play in front of the wicket, whenever there is such a case, it is the call of the striker that the non-striker needs to uphold. It is really easy to debate. Gill denied the run, and this is also not the first run-out between him and Rohit Sharma," R. Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

"If the striker says yes to a run, there is no scene of saying no. All of these basics of running between the wickets—they teach all of this in childhood. All of these are basic things. Everyone makes mistakes. I am not saying it is the mistake of one or the other here, but the truth here is Rohit was not at fault at all," he added.

The first T20I against Afghanistan at Mohali in early 2024 was the most prominent instance of the opening pair's history of errors and run-outs.

That time, Rohit Sharma was at the striker's end once more and had smashed the ball towards mid-off before darting off for a single. The then-skipper left for a duck after Shubman Gill, who was ball-watching, denied the run at the last minute.