IPL 2022: RR's director of cricket Kumar Sangakkara hails 'perfect' R Ashwin

R Ashwin during RR’s match against LSG. Pic/BCCI; IPL

Ravichandran Ashwin was the first cricketer in the IPL to run out a non-striker (Jos Buttler) for backing up too far while he was into his delivery stride during the 2019 edition. Ashwin was again associated with an unusual occurrence - on Sunday - at the Wankhede Stadium.

The Rajasthan Royals offie became the first IPL player to ‘retire out' against Lucknow Super Giants. Two balls into the final over, Ashwin headed to the dugout and let Riyan Parag, the regular No.6 batsman, have a go.

It's all in the rule

As per Law 25.4, batters are allowed to retire at any time when the ball is not in play, upon informing the umpires. If it is due to "illness, injury or any other unavoidable cause" the batsman can resume his innings only with the consent of the fielding captain.

Kumar Sangakkara

Considering RR won the match by just three runs against Lucknow Super Giants, Parag's four-ball eight proved priceless thanks to Ashwin's tactical decision. Ashwin, who was promoted ahead of Parag, scored 28 off 23 balls. West Indian Shimron Hetmyer, who was going hammer and tongs during his unbeaten 36-ball 59, was surprised by his partner Ashwin heading to the pavilion end. Ashwin has once again showed that he is not shy to explore the game's unchartered areas even if his action sets tongues wagging. Given the impact his tactical decision had on the result, it won't be surprising to see other teams taking cue.

RR's director of cricket, Kumar Sangakkara felt Ashwin's timing was perfect. "It was the right time to do that. Ashwin himself was asking from the field and we had discussed as to what we would do. As coach, I got one call wrong by not sending Riyan ahead of Rassie van der Dussen and holding Rassie back, so we couldn't get the full benefit of Riyan. But how Ashwin handled that situation; walking in under pressure, he batted, supported the team and then finally sacrificed himself in terms of retiring himself out and then backed it up with a magnificent bowling effort (4-0-20-0)," Sangakkara said in the post-match virtual press conference.

Team's decision: Samson

However, RR captain Sanju Samson said that Ashwin's ‘retired out' was a team decision. "We keep trying different things, have been talking about it before the season. We thought that if some situation occurs, we can use it. It was a team decision," said Samson at the post-match presentation.

Pakistan's Shahid Afridi was the first to ‘retire out' while playing against Northamptonshire on Pakistan's 2010 tour of England. In 2019, Bhutan's Sonam Tobgay did it in a T20I against Maldives and in the same year, Sunzamul Islam, playing for Cumilla Warriors in the Bangladesh Premier League, decided to retire out.