IPL 2020: Ponting Said He'd Have Wanted Me to Mankad Finch, Didn't Do it As He's a Good Friend - R Ashwin

Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting was in favour of R Ashwin running out Aaron Finch at the non-striker's end, unofficially termed mankading, in their game against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Monday, the offspinner has revealed. Ashwin decided against mankading Finch, who went down the crease by a few yards, and instead stopped in his delivery stride to give him a warning. Ashwin later took to Twitter to announce a first and final warning for all batsmen against leaving the crease early in IPL 2020.

Talking in his YouTube channel, Ashwin said Ponting felt Finch went too far down the crease before the ball was bowled. Before the season began, Ponting had said that he wouldn't like Ashwin to 'mankad' batsmen as he felt it was against the spirit of cricket.

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"I tagged Ponting in the tweet. He said 'he's gone too far down, I myself wanted you to run him out'. He said he's talking to the ICC committee about a run penalty. He's trying hard to keep his promise," said Ashwin.

Let’s make it clear !! First and final warning for 2020. I am making it official and don’t blame me later on. @RickyPonting #runout #nonstriker @AaronFinch5 and I are good buddies btw.😂😂 #IPL2020

— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) October 5, 2020

Ashwin then explained why he decided against the dismissal on this occasion, saying Finch was a 'good friend' since their days of playing together in Kings XI Punjab, where Ashwin was captain.

"I'm not a leader to give out messages. Don't want to talk and make an issue out of it," he said.

"When we played, one side of the ground was big. I knew 100 percent that some batsman would go out (of the crease), because boundaries weren't that easy. They had guys who could convert ones to twos. So even before going to the match I knew someone would go out and I could get a wicket.  I went into my jump and a gold helmet floated past me without stopping.

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"I stopped and thought for a second whether to do the run out or not. Even when I was thinking, he was just staring at me and didn't come into the crease. I don't know why he was staring.

"But he's been a good friend since KXIP days. He's a very nice guy, a lot of times we have sat together in the evenings and passed time. So I let it slide as a final warning.

"I severely feel that the punishment should be severe. Dock 10 runs for backing up. No batsman would go out then."

Ashwin said there was no skill in getting a batsman out like this, but said bowlers had no options.

"Getting a batsman out like this is not a skill. But there's no option for the bowler either if you keep going out," he said.

"Can't stop thefts till thieves themselves repent. I can't be the police forever."

Delhi next play Rajasthan Royals on Friday, and will come up against Jos Buttler, a serial offender at the non-striker's end who was dismissed in this fashion by Ashwin just last year. Will Ashwin do an encore?

"We're playing RR next, but we're playing in Sharjah. There's no need to run over there. Just hit. It'll be like tennis ball cricket, no twos and threes needed," he said.

• Aaron Finch
• ipl 2020
• Jos Buttler
• R Ashwin
• ricky ponting