AUS vs ENG 2022: "Deepti lives rent-free in their heads"- Fans slam Mitchell Starc for mentioning Deepti Sharma in his comments to Jos Buttler

Australian speedster Mitchell Starc has received some stick from fans after he mentioned Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma's name during an argument with England skipper Jos Buttler on Friday.

In the third T20I between Australia and England, Starc bowled a delivery and turned back to Buttler to let him know that he was backing up too much before the delivery.

While Buttler denied the claim, Starc, while walking back to his bowling mark, said:

"I am not Deepti, but I won't do it."

The pacer was referring to the incident in a Women's ODI between India and England, where Deepti Sharma ran out non-striker Charlie Dean for backing up too much.

Fans felt there was absolutely no need for Starc to mention Deepti as the all-rounder was well within the rules of the game.

Here are some of the reactions:

Grow up Starc. That’s really poor from you. What Deepti did was well within the rules of the game. If you only want to warn the non striker and not get him out that’s fine and your decision to make but you bringing Deepti into this isn’t what the cricket world expects of you twitter.com/criccrazyjohns…

Yes Mitch, u can never be Deepti twitter.com/SonySportsNetw…

name dropping deepti like that was a little cheap Australians of all people taking a spirit high ground lmao twitter.com/mufaddal_vohra…

"I'm not deepti i won't do it" people still talking about a run out this obsessively your favs could never COULD NEVER
https://t.co/XrF81D6GGU twitter.com/SonySportsNetw…

'im not deepti, but i wanna do it'. idk what to make out of it but its surely so sick of him to use her name like this while she just played according to rules. they are so loud about this but went so quiet during sand paper saga like bro? lolz twitter.com/CricCrazyJohns…

"I am not deepti, but I won't do it"

Mitchell, please. We have high respect for you. Drag our girls and we'll lose it all for you. twitter.com/SonySportsNetw…

Deepti lives rent free in their head.. twitter.com/SonySportsNetw…

Buttler brought Deepti into this and starc replied.

Yes starc you are not you can't be 👍🏻 Taking such steps is not everyone cup of tea. Nobody cares if you don't want to run out players. You can also drop catches 🤷‍♀️ twitter.com/SonySportsNetw…

Ah good to know Starc’s list of dos and donts. Don’t: he wouldn’t do a mankad like Deepti Sharma. Do: Sandpaper a ball twitter.com/sonysportsnetw…

'I'm not Deepti but I won't do it'

Sorry Mitch, not necessary. Even if it isn't your prerogative to go ahead with it, that was avoidable.

Also if him stepping out is bothering you just run him out. Simple. #AUSvENG twitter.com/SonySportsNetw…

Being Deepti involves asking "Oh, why is it wrong if it is in the Laws?"

Being Deepti involves refusing to be conditioned by illogical narratives based on a misplaced, outdated sense of superiority.

It isn't easy to be Deepti.

You aren't Deepti. Yet.

But you will get there.

It's almost a negative connotion to being Deepti. Same as they did with Vinoo Mankad. Same as they did with Ashwin. Like it's blasphemy.

This is getting crazy

"I'm not Deepti"

I'm not like her - not an unsporting, unfair, cricketer but I could have been her - so appreciate how sporting I am.

The run out will continue being criticised because of this thinking. I'm not Mankad, I'm not Ash, I'm not Deepti.

YOU SHOULD BE.

Deepti Sharma sparked up 'Spirit of Cricket' debate

It was perhaps pretty brave of Deepti Sharma to dismiss Dean in the fashion that she did, that too at the home of cricket - the Lord's.

Many former England cricketers and even some current ones like Stuart Broad and James Anderson felt that it wasn't the best way to win a game and was not in accordance with the 'Spirit of Cricket'.

However, Deepti received great support from the Indian cricketing fraternity, as many claimed she was just following the rules. Although the term was previously called 'Mankading', the ICC brought in a new set of rules from October 1 that have clearly stated that it is a 'run out' and a fair mode of dismissal.

Buttler has already been run out in this fashion by Sachithra Senanayake and Ravichandran Ashwin. The England skipper will probably need to be careful as he could well be dismissed in this way during a crucial T20 World Cup game.