IPL 2020: Won’t accept ‘Mankading’ at KKR, says Dinesh Karthik

IPL 2020: Won’t accept ‘Mankading’ at KKR, says Dinesh Karthik

dinesh karthik andre russel

Dinesh-Karthik-Mankading-IPL-2020
KKR captain Dinesh Karthik (right).

The controversy over the infamous ‘Mankading’ never seems to die. The cricket world always seemed to be divided on the issue. While some are fine with it, many icons look down upon it and see it against the spirit of the game.

Kolkata Knight Riders captain Dinesh Karthik seems to be in the latter category as he made his thought apparent about Mankading. The 35–year-old said he won’t allow any of his bowlers to do the same at the upcoming IPL 2020 in the UAE.

“I keep saying this. As a captain, I wouldn’t allow my bowler (to do a Mankad). If my bowler does it, I won’t accept it as a dismissal. Because I feel that (even though) it’s okay, it’s not necessary, our bowlers have the skill levels to do a proper dismissal,” Dinesh Karthik told Cricketnext.

Mankading or the method of running out batsman at non-strikers end by hitting the bails before the ball is being bowled. It was named after the legendary Indian bowler Vinoo Mankad, who first achieved such feat in a Test match against Australia in 1947.

In recent times, the most infamous incident of Mankading happened last season. Kings XI Punjab captain R Ashwin ran out Jos Buttler before bowling his delivery. The incident became a point of debate for weeks to come.

‘Rules need to be watertight for Mankad’

Ashwin Makading
Ricky Ponting (far right) against R Ashwin’s (far left) Mankading habit

KKR captain further stressed that laws around Mankading need to be watertight.

 “Rules need to be watertight and there is no question of… it’s either black or white, it’s as simple as that,” he said. “There should be no grey areas for people to use a loophole and find out.”

Things are already stressful in Delhi Capital’s dressing room over the incident after coach Ricky Ponting made his apprehensions clear over it. This has probably not sit well with Capital’s new signing and senior player R Ashwin.

 Ponting said: “I’ll be having a chat with him (Ashwin) about (Mankading), that’s the first thing I’ll do. That is going to be a hard conversation I will have with him. I think, even him, looking back now, probably he’d say it was within the rules and he’s right to do it.

“But this is not within the spirit of the game, not in the way I want, at least with the Delhi Capitals anyway.”

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