'Not a personal battle, people who want attention taking it that way' - Ravi Ashwin on his spat with Eoin Morgan

India and Delhi Capitals off-spinner Ravi Ashwin has said the sendoff given by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Eoin Morgan and pacer Tim Southee was totally unnecessary during the time they two met in the 14^th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The incident occurred during the Capitals batting inning when skipper Rishabh Pant and the off-spinner ran a run after a rebound from the former’s body.

Unimpressed by this spirit of cricket act, Morgan had an altercation with Ashwin calling him a disgrace and accusing him of not following the ‘spirit of cricket’. Incidentally, the rule is valid in MCC laws and a batter can take an extra run if he or she wishes to take it. Pant and Ashwin did just that but Morgan and Southee didn’t like what unfolded during the game and had a verbal tussle with Ashwin.

Apart from Morgan, even former Australia leg-spinner, Shane Warne felt it was an unnecessary single which Ashwin ran of a rebound. Now, the off-spinner has opened about the matter after his side’s win over Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

“Look, I think it is definitely not a personal battle or one-on-one battle. Personally, I would not deem it like that. People who want attention may be taking it that way, but I am not looking it that way at all. The incident that happened the other day was, I got really charged up because that was entirely untoward by both Tim Southee and Eoin Morgan to give a batter sendoff who just got out,” said Ashwin during the post-match press conference.

The words which were used were not in the right direction: Ravi Ashwin

Ashwin further opined that he didn’t know the ball had hit Rishabh Pant’s arm. He just felt there was an extra run on offer. The Capitals off-spinner concluded by saying that culturally people of England and India are different and the way the players are brought up by playing cricket is also vastly different.

“The worst situation was that I was not aware that the ball had hit Rishabh so I just felt like that they already decided to have a go at me. That is one of the reasons I said that the words which were used were not in the right direction and not in the right space. Beyond that, we need to understand that culturally people are different, the way people are brought up to play cricket in England and India, the way one thinks is completely different,” he added.