Ravichandran Ashwin has ignited an old debate in a new way. The spinner, who was leading Kings XI Punjab team against the Rajasthan Royals in Monday's contest, broke all hell loose after he mankaded Jos Buttler, changing the course of the match. However, Ashwin's 'mankading' act became a topic of raging debate on Twitter with both the past and present cricketers giving their point of view on the issue. Rule books were thrown at each other and the 'spirit of the game' discussed with a passion that has not been seen in recent times. The fact that Buttler was not giving a warning before being dismissed has irked many fans. Ravichandran Ashwin Mankads Jos Buttler as Kings XI Punjab Beat Rajasthan Royals by 14 Runs in VIVO IPL 2019, KXIP vs RR.

While many fans and cricketers criticised Ashwin for dismissing Jos Buttler the way he did, many Indian cricketers including commentators and especially bowlers defended Ashwin's action. The cricketing world has been left divided on whether Ashwin hurt the "spirit of the game", or was he merely playing by the rule book. Many are also saying that Ashwin purposely stopped in his bowling action to trick Jos Buttler before taking off the bails. KXIP beat RR by 14 runs | Kings XI Punjab vs Rajasthan Royals Live Cricket Score 4th T20 Match.

Read a few Twitter Echanges Below:

The Great Shane Warne Had This to Say About the Incident

Warne did not just stop at single tweet:

Former Indian cricketer turned commentator Aakash Chopra, who was also calling for the match, defended Ashwin:

Former Indian Pacer RP Singh Also Came to Ashwin's Defense:

Former New Zealand Cricketer Scott Styris Threw the Rule Book in to Prove His Point:

But Cricket Commentator Harsha Bhogle Begged to Differ:

Mohammed Kaif Seemed to Provide a Balanced Answer:

English Cricketer Jason Roy Was Really Offended With Ashwin's Actions:

The reactions are still flowing in as players and fans continue to remain divided over the issue as the above tweets suggest. It is one of those issues that really doesn't seem to have a final answer. Was Ashwin right in taking that extra pause in his bowling action? Was Buttler justified in dragging his bat outside the line even though his bat was in the crease when Ashwin reached near the stumps? And most importantly, shouldn't Buttler have been given a warning before declared out? We leave you to answer the questions and decide accordingly.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 26, 2019 10:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).