A run-out incident involving Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill during India’s first ODI against Afghanistan has once again become a talking point after former cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin weighed in on the matter.
The incident occurred during India’s chase of 195 runs. In the sixth over, Rohit attempted to take a quick single after guiding the ball towards the mid-on region. However, confusion arose between the two batters when Shubman Gill, standing at the non-striker’s end, hesitated before committing to the run.
According to the sequence of events, Shubman Gill briefly tracked the ball and found his path affected by bowler Allah Ghazanfar’s follow-through. This hesitation resulted in a misunderstanding between the two players. By the time Rohit was asked to return to his crease, it was too late. Despite making a desperate dive, the Indian captain was comfortably short of the crease and was dismissed for 16 runs from 16 deliveries.
Discussing the incident on his YouTube channel, Ashwin explained that in such situations, the striker’s call should generally be respected by the non-striker. He said that when a batter plays the ball in front of the wicket and calls for a run, the non-striker is expected to respond accordingly rather than reject the call.
Ashwin also pointed out that this was not the first misunderstanding between Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill while running between the wickets. While acknowledging that mistakes can happen to any player, he emphasised that the fundamentals of running between the wickets are taught from a young age and remain important even at the highest level of the game.
The former spinner further stated that, in his view, Rohit was not responsible for the dismissal. While he stopped short of blaming a single player entirely, he suggested that the striker’s decision should have carried more weight in that particular situation.
The run-out revived memories of another high-profile mix-up involving the same pair during the first T20I against Afghanistan in Mohali in early 2024. Over the years, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill have been involved in a few communication errors between the wickets, but this latest incident once again highlighted how a split-second hesitation can change the course of an innings.
Ashwin’s comments have since sparked fresh debate among fans over who was truly responsible for the costly run-out.
