Mumbai, April 11 | Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara, director of cricket and head coach of Rajasthan Royals, is overjoyed with Ravichandran Ashwin’s “sacrifice” for the team when the cricketer allowed himself to retire in the match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Sunday. was given. A better finisher to tonk the ball a few times to increase your score.
Whether Ashwin had planned it or not, after pushing Avesh Khan for single cover, he kept running after completing the run and stopped just before reaching the dressing room. The fact that Riyan Parag went straight to bat means that the team was expecting such a move from Ashwin.
Ashwin’s batting partner at the time, Shimron Hetmyer, hit Khan for sixes in successive deliveries and Parag also hit a big six before being dismissed, to take RR’s score to 165 for six with another one on the final delivery of the match. Hit a big six.
The winners of the inaugural IPL edition restricted LSG to 162/8 for a narrow three-run win.
Royals coach Sangakkara praised Ashwin and said, “Ashwin himself was also asking from the field and we had discussed it just before that what we would do.” I thought the way Ashwin handled the situation under pressure (in the 10th over), the way he batted to support the team. And then in the end, (he) sacrificed himself in terms of retiring, (which was) awesome,” Sangakkara said.
“And then he went into the field and backed it up with an excellent, excellent bowling effort,” he said.
The successful strategy used by the Royals in the IPL in Sunday’s game at the Wankhede has won praise and could become a regular fixture in 20-over cricket ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup later this year, the ICC felt on Monday. .
The law states that retired batsmen may resume their innings later in the innings due to injury or illness, unless with the consent of the opposing captain. Rule 25.4.3 states, in part: “If a batsman retires for any reason other than (injury or illness) … that batsman’s innings may be resumed only with the consent of the opposing captain. If for any reason his innings is not resumed, that batsman will be recorded as ‘retired-out’.”
Commentators across the world also praised the move, with many believing that it would become a regular occurrence in 20-over cricket by the time the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup begins in Australia in October-November.
The strategy was also used successfully by the Sydney Sixers during the final of Australia’s Big Bash League earlier this year. On that occasion the Sixers decided to retire injured batsman Jordan Silk with the required two runs from the last delivery as Jay Lenton came to the crease and helped score the winning run.
Source: IANS