Indian cricket star Ravi Ashwin’s cheeky coronavirus troll

Shane Warne famously labelled this cricket star a “disgrace” for dividing the cricket world. His latest trolling effort is uniting the world.

Ravi Ashwin left Jos Buttler furious after a 'Mankad' run out during the IPL

The cricket world is refusing to be defeated by coronavirus despite the devastating impact the pandemic has had on the sport’s 2020 outlook.

Some of the biggest names in the game are instead using their profile to help spread a message of urging the world to take vigilant action to slow the spread of the virus.

And they’re doing it in style too.

Indian cricket star Ravi Ashwin on Wednesday night took the cheeky step of using his moment of infamy to catch the cricket world’s attention with his message for Indian people to stay home and self isolate during the crisis.

Ashwin was famously branded “disgraceful” by Aussie legend Shane Warne during last year’s IPL where the Indian spinner executed a highly controversial “mankad” dismissal of England batsman Jos Butler.

The run out divided the cricket world.

Now Ashwin has trolled Butler again and used the moment to unite the world in a determined effort to stop the spread of coronavirus.

The spin bowler tweeted a picture of his dismissal of Buttler exactly a year ago in the Indian Premier League, when he spotted the batsman out of his crease at the non-striker’s end and ran him out.

“Hahaha, somebody sent me this and told me it’s exactly been 1 year since this run out happened,” wrote Ashwin, who has changed his Twitter display name to “lets stay indoors India”.

Hahaha, somebody sent me this and told me it's exactly been 1 year since this run out happened.

As the nation goes into a lockdown, this is a good reminder to my citizens.

Don't wander out. Stay inside, stay safe! #21DayLockdown pic.twitter.com/bSN1454kFt

— lets stay indoors India 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) March 25, 2020

“As the nation goes into a lockdown, this is a good reminder to my citizens. Don’t wander out. Stay inside, stay safe! #21DayLockdown.” The method of dismissal, named after former India player Vinoo Mankad, is legal but is seen by many as going against the game’s values, unless the batsman has been warned first.

India, which has seen a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases, went into a 21-day “total lockdown” at midnight on Tuesday, with anyone ignoring the order facing up to two years in jail and a fine.

This year’s IPL, the world’s richest cricket league, is one of the many sports events worldwide to be postponed including the Tokyo Olympics, which has been delayed until next year.

Ravi Ashwin left Jos Buttler furious after a 'Mankad' run out during the IPL

India cricket chief Sourav Ganguly has even hinted that this year’s IPL could be called off.

Meanwhile, England’s unheralded Headingley hero Jack Leach has also used the biggest moment of his career to troll Australia and promote a message of social responsibility in response to England’s coronavirus lockdown.

Leach, batting at No. 11 during last year’s iconic Ashes test at Headingley, scored an unbeaten one off 17 in an hour at the crease as Ben Stokes led England to a famous victory.

It is a performance Leach says everyone can take inspiration from in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic, encouraging everyone to do the “boring” thing by staying at home.

“Being boring is boring guys! But if it gets the job done it’s definitely worth it,” he posted on Twitter.

“We are all batting at 11 so let’s not get ahead of ourselves and start playing shots. Defend your stumps. One ball at a time and let Stokes do his thing #StayAtHome.”

Being boring is boring guys! But if it gets the job done it’s definitely worth it! We are all batting at 11 so let’s not get ahead of ourselves and start playing shots. Defend your stumps. One ball at a time and let Stokes do his thing #StayAtHome https://t.co/TLudq6gVcc

— Jack Leach (@jackleach1991) March 24, 2020

— with AFP