- April 12, 2023
IPL 2023: More bowlers should try run-outs at their end, says R Ashwin | Cricket News – Times of India
Harshal Patel, with one run to defend against Lucknow Super Giants, tried the same thing at Chinnaswamy Stadium on Monday, only to miss it by a whisker. Ashwin, who was following the game, said that as Harshal was running in to bowl the last ball, he had told his wife about running the non-striker out!
“I was so happy to see a bowler having the guts to try that. More bowlers should try doing it. As long as it is within the rules, there is no harm in trying to use every trick in the book to win a game. In 2019, Punjab Kings would have qualified for the playoffs if they ran Rahul Chahar out,” Ashwin said on the sidelines of an event.
Ashwin feels strongly about this mode of run-out because he believes bowlers have to deal with a lot more than batters in T20 cricket.
“A bowler goes for 45 runs in four overs and it is highlighted that he had an off-day. But a batter gets four off eight balls and it is never mentioned. The lens needs to shift and I was so happy that Gujarat Titans stood by Yash Dayal that day after he was hit for five sixes in the last over,” he said.
‘I feel like a baseball pitcher’
Despite all his experience in all forms of cricket, the premier offie at times feels the odds are stacked too heavily against him while playing T20 cricket.
“At times, I feel like a baseball pitcher. I just crave for that extra few steps that a batter gets while batting while the bowler doesn’t. In T20 cricket, where the par score is shooting up every day, it is not just the bowler but the entire team management that has to come to play to stop the flow of runs. Dhoni keeps saying to stay in the moment. It’s a small thing but a crucial thing. I try to do that.”
