What is Mankading in Cricket? – Famous Mankading Incidents.

Over the years, the cricket fraternity has remained divided over the most controversial concept of the game, “Mankading”. The concept refers to the dismissal of a batsman at the non-striker’s end by hitting the ball onto the stumps without actually completing the delivery. Some experts consider it as ‘unfair’ whereas some consider it as a punishment for leaving the crease early, similar to a ‘no-ball’ being a punishment for a bowler who oversteps.

In 1948, Vinoo Mankad, an Indian all-rounder dismissed Australia’s Bill Brown in the specific fashion. His act left the world divided on opinions. The mode of dismissal has been named after him. Despite legalization, the act still sparks debate within the media.

Here’s a list of 10 ‘Mankading’ dismissals that created controversies:

1. Ravichandran Ashwin vs Sri Lanka (2012)

Apart from his bowling action, Ashwin’s attempts of “Mankading” have landed him into controversies. The spinner tried dismissing Lahiru Thirrimanne in an ODI in 2012. Senior players like Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar were quick enough to withdraw the appeal.

2. Sachitra Senanayake vs England (2014)

Sri Lankan spinner Sachitra Senanayeke attempted “Mankad” on Jos Buttler in an ODI between Sri Lanka and England. The umpires considered the appeal from the Sri Lankan side as captain Angelo Mathews did not withdraw it and Senanayeke had provided clear warnings in the previous over.

3. Kapil Dev vs South Africa (1992)

India’s legendary and World-Cup winning captain Kapil Dev also makes it to a controversial list. In an ODI between India and South Africa in 1992, Kapil dismissed Pieter Kirsten at the bowler’s end. Kirsten was previously warned by Kapil, which he seemed to have ignored.

4. Aamir Kaleem vs Hong Kong (2016)

Oman’s Aamir Kaleem pulled off a clutch “Mankad” attempt against Hong Kong’s Mark Chapman in the Asia Cup Qualifiers in 2016. Chapman was sent back to the pavilion and this dismissal led to the collapse of Hong Kong’s batting order. The move was criticized heavily as Hong Kong were close to ensuring a victory.

5. Keemo Paul vs Zimbabwe (2016)

Keemo Paul dismissed Zimbabwe’s Richard Ngarava by ‘Mankading’ him in the quarter finals of the U-19 Cricket World Cup. The move was heavily criticized as West Indies managed to steal the victory from Zimbabwe, who were just 3 runs away from winning.

6.  Ravichandran Ashwin vs Rajasthan Royals (2019)

Modern day cricket’s most controversial incident of ‘Mankading’ was Ashwin dismissing Jos Buttler in an IPL match in 2019. Ashwin, captain of the Punjab side then, waited for a few seconds before dislodging the bails. Post dismissal, Buttler stood speechless with the umpires signaling ‘out’. Ashwin faced severe backlash from experts and commentators calling it unfair towards Jos Buttler.

7. Mohammed Shami vs Sri Lanka (2023)

The incident might have slipped through your memory but it once again left the fans divided, especially after being legalized. India was heading towards a comfortable victory when Shami attempted ‘Mankading’ on Dasun Shanaka, who was just two runs away from a ton. The appeal was withdrawn by Indian skipper Rohit Sharma. Rohit’s decision was praised by many, yet some fans felt the decision could have been upheld as it has been legalized.

8. Adam Zampa vs Melbourne Renegades (2023)

Australian fans and commentators were shell shocked after witnessing a ‘Mankading’ attempt by Adam Zampa in a Big Bash League fixture. The dismissal was overturned after reviewing as it showed Zampa completing his action before attempting the run-out.

9. Deepti Sharma vs England (2022)

The Indian women’s Team traveled to England for star pacer Jhulan Goswami’s farewell series. India dominantly swept the series by 3-0. It was the last wicket of the series that triggered the host nation’s experts and fans. Spinner Deepti Sharma caught tailender Charlie Dean outside the crease and was quick enough to pull the bails off. The visitors had nothing to lose, but the hosts didn’t hold back their opinions on “Spirit Of Cricket”.

10.  Noor Ahmad vs Pakistan (2020)

Afghanistan’s Chinaman Noor Ahmad dismissed Pakistan’s Muhammad Huraira in the U-19 World Cup 2020. The Pakistani batsman was heading towards a ton as he looked set on the crease. This dismissal didn’t harm Pakistan’s innings as they still won the match by six wickets.

Also read: India National Cricket Team : Team Profile

Statements on Mankading

• “If I am walking out (of the crease) and someone runs me out, that is my mistake. He (bowler who runs him out) is using the rule to his advantage, that is fine, that’s not a big deal”. ~ Hardik Pandya.
• “I don’t think I’ll ever do it unless I was really angry with someone. It’s in the laws and there’s nothing illegal so people that do it have the right, but I just hope it doesn’t become a common thing or something that’s regularly done”. ~ Moeen Ali.
• “No one wants to see them (mode of dismissal) in the game because they always create such a talking point when it should be about the battle between bat and ball and watching great games of cricket. They always seem to happen at unsavory times.” ~ Jos Buttler
• “To get two or three meters out of the crease is also cheating”. ~ Gordon Greenidge
• “I’m completely in favor of Mankading. It’s in the law”. ~ Arjun Tendulkar

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