IPL 2021: Harsha Bhogle reignites 'Mankading' debate

When Chennai took on Rajasthan at the Wankhede in the 12th game of IPL 2021, a certain incident got commentators and observers talking about an age-old habit amongst batsmen.

During the Chennai batting inning, television replays were produced to validate Rajasthan's Mustafizur Rahman possibly overstepping in his delivery stride.

While he did overstep, what caught everyone's attention was the undeniable sight of Dwayne Bravo backing up significantly.

Quick to spot it, Harsha Bhogle, the commentator on air at the time, pounced on the Bravo mischief.

"Look where Bravo is. That is why I believe you're entirely within your rights…it should almost be mandatory in team meetings to say, run him out. All this talk about not being in the spirit of the game is so much nonsense," he said.

And Bhogle wasn't the only one to voice his opinion on the matter. Former Australian wrist-spinner Brad Hogg also echoed Bhogle's sentiments.

"Still trying to work out why people say it is wrong to Mankad a batsman. Your out of your crease before the ball has left the hand, you are trying to gain an advantage and you cry foul when a bowler does what is legal," Hogg tweeted.

'Mankading' rose to prominence in the IPL in 2019 when Ravi Ashwin, playing for Punjab at the time, ran Rajasthan's Jos Buttler out at the non-striker end for having backed up too much at the point of delivery.

That incident stirred a hornet's nest and reignited an age-old debate with Ashwin sticking to his guns.

The off-spinner is an outspoken advocate of 'Mankading' and does not shy away from speaking about it at every given opportunity while backing the bowler.

What is 'Mankading'?

The act of running the batsman out at the non-striker's end pertains to the Laws of Cricket 41.16.

"Non-striker leaving his/her ground early: If the non-striker is out of his/her ground from the moment the ball comes into play to the instant when the bowler would normally have been expected to release the ball, the bowler is permitted to attempt to run him/her out. Whether the attempt is successful or not, the ball shall not count as one in the over."

Also, as per this law, the umpire must intervene and call a 'Dead Ball' should the bowler fail in his attempt to run out the batsman in this fashion.

Why is it called 'Mankading'?

When India toured Australia way back in 1947, Vinoo Mankad had dismissed Bill Brown at the non-striker's end for having backed up too much. Incidentally, Mankad did so twice to Brown on that tour.

Don Bradman, the Australian captain at the time, backed Mankad's actions, much to the dismay of the Australian public.

The media thereafter duly christened the dismissal after the Indian bowler.

Over the years, while several Laws of Cricket have undergone amendments, this form of 'run out' at the non-striker's end had stood the test of time.