Southee and Ashwin exchanged a few words before KKR captain Eoin Morgan entered the fray and got into a heated argument.
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Delhi Capitals (DC) cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin caused a stir during Match 41 of the IPL 2021 between the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the Capitals on Tuesday in Sharjah. While batting alongside Rishabh Pant, Ashwin attempted a second run after the ball deflected off the DC captain’s bat. This occurred on the final ball of DC’s penultimate over, as both batsmen completed a couple of runs. So when Ashwin pulled Tim Southee to deep backward square off the next ball, tempers flared. Southee and Ashwin exchanged a few words before KKR captain Eoin Morgan entered the fray and got into a heated argument with the DC off-spinner. It was clear that it had something to do with what had happened with the previous ball, and both had to be separated by KKR wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik.
Former Australia spinner Shane Warne was not pleased with Ashwin’s reaction to the incident. With Ashwin causing controversy for the second time (he was at the center of the storm for his Mankading of Jos Buttler in 2019), Warne called the off-act spinner’s ‘disgraceful’ and one that should not be tolerated. “The world shouldn’t be divided on this topic and Ashwin. It’s pretty simple – it’s disgraceful & should never happen. Why does Ashwin have to be that guy again? I think @Eoin16 had every right to nail him,” Warne tweeted.
As KKR defeated DC by three wickets, Karthik explained why the two cricketers had an argument, explaining how for Morgan, who believes in sportsmanship, things like going for a run after the ball had ricocheted off the bat goes against the spirit of the game.
“I know that Rahul Tripathi threw the ball and it hit Rishabh Pant and then it ricocheted off it and Ashwin started to run. I do not think Eoin appreciates it; he is someone when the ball hits the batter, he expects them not to run because of the spirit of cricket,” Karthik had said.
On Tuesday, KKR defeated the DC by three wickets in the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Capitals scored 127-9 in their 20 overs, while KKR scored 130-7 in 18.2 overs. There was a point in the chase when DC made the men in purple feel very uneasy, but an incredible cameo from Sunil Narine ensured the Knight Riders were out of a sticky situation. Nitish Rana scored the winning runs, capping off an outstanding innings. The left-hander kept his cool while also assisting his teammates when they were in trouble. This was an unexpected result for the Capitals.
Avesh Khan was the one bright spot in the DC bowling unit on an otherwise disappointing afternoon. In his three overs, the youngster took three wickets and allowed only 13 runs. So far this season, he has taken 18 wickets. Kagiso Rabada took one wicket, but Narine smashed him around the park for 20 runs in one over. In the end, he gave up 18 runs in three overs. Spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Lalit Yadav both took one wicket.
