Cricket news round-up – 5 April 2019: Ashwin has no regrets over Mankad, even as Buttler calls law “wishy-washy”

R Ashwin and Jos Buttler have both given their views about the Mankad dismissal that sparked a furore in last week’s IPL 2019 clash between Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals. Elsewhere, Sunrisers Hyderabad go top of the table and former Sri Lanka all-rounder Dilhara Lokuhettige faces more corruption charges.

‘No regrets’ – Ashwin on Mankad of Buttler

R Ashwin said the whole furore surrounding his dismissal of Jos Buttler at the non-strikers’ end hadn’t affect him one bit as he insisted he played by the book.

Ashwin Mankaded Buttler during their opening IPL 2019 clash last week, and it split the cricket world into a spirit of cricket debate. Ashwin received a lot of flak for the manner of the dismissal, with even the MCC saying the pause between him breaking the delivery stride and the actual dislodging of bails was too long.

However, Ashwin insisted his conscience was clear. He said: “It hasn’t affected me one bit at all. I am very happy for the fact that they [former and current England players] are standing up for their fellow countryman. I definitely do think that my countrymen have also stood up for me. And it is only fair that your peers stand up for you.”

Hyderabad atop table after easing past Delhi

Sunrisers Hyderabad went atop the IPL 2019 table after beating Delhi Capitals by five wickets in their clash in New Delhi on Thursday, 4 April.

Delhi were restricted to 129/8 after they were put in to bat – only Shreyas Iyer (43) and Axar Patel (23*) made scores of any note – with all of Mohammad Nabi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Siddarth Kaul picking two wickets.

Hyderabad then coasted the chase for the most part, with Jonny Bairstow scoring a 28-ball 48 and Nabi scoring a 9-ball 17 to secure victory with nine balls to spare.

Jos Buttler questions Mankad law

Jos Buttler said the decision to rule him out after R Ashwin Mankaded him was “probably wrong”.

The England wicketkeeper-batsman was at the centre of the Mankad storm after Ashwin ran him out at the non-strikers’ end after he backed up too much.

Buttler was furious at the time, and though he has calmed down considerably since then, he said the law will need working on.

“Of course a Mankading has to be in the Laws of the game because a batsman can’t just run halfway down the pitch trying to get a headstart,” Buttler told ESPNcricinfo. “But I do think, the way the law is written, there is a bit of a grey area in that saying ‘when a bowler is expected to release the ball’. That is a bit of a wishy-washy statement.”

Former Sri Lanka all-rounder faces corruption charges

Former Sri Lanka allrounder Dilhara Lokuhettige has been hit with fresh corruption charges by the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU), just five months after the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) had also charged him.

Lokuhettige was provisionally suspended by the ICC when the ECB levelled the charges before, and now, the “provisional suspension [from November] remains in full force and effect and he has additionally been provisionally suspended under the ICC Code pending the determination of these new charges,” an ICC release said.

Lokuhettige was charged with “fixing, controvising or otherwise influencing improperly” the “result, progress, or conduct” of an international match.E