WATCH: Ashwin sparks controversy, makes Buttler first victim of 'Mankading' in IPL

As per the laws of the game, the third umpire declared Buttler out but such a dismissal had always raised eyebrows as it is considered against the spirit of the game

Chris Gayle hit a belligerent half-century as Kings XI Punjab registered a convincing 14-run win over Rajasthan Royals in a controversial Indian Premier League match on Monday.

Rajasthan Royals opener Jos Buttler wreaked havoc on KXIP bowlers as he was hitting almost every bowl off the fence for fours and sixes. Buttler struck eight boundaries and two hits over the fence to notch up his fifty in just 29 balls.

However, Buttler on Monday became the first victim of 'Mankading' in the history of the Indian Premier League when a desperate Kings XI Punjab skipper Ravichandran Ashwin dismissed the batsman in the controversial manner.

With Buttler going strong at 69 off 43 balls while chasing 185 runs, Ashwin mankaded the Rajasthan Royals opener without giving him any warning.

As per the laws of the game, the third umpire declared Buttler out but such a dismissal had always raised eyebrows as it is considered against the spirit of the game.

As expected Buttler seemed furious and had a heated exchange with Ashwin before leaving the field. The dismissal is sure to create a big controversy going into the 12th edition of the IPL.

From there on, it proved to be an uphill task for Rajasthan as they needed 27 off the last two overs with six wickets down.

Ashwin’s action received widespread criticism on social media with the likes of Mohammad Kaif, Eoin Morgan and Dale Steyn slamming him for his gesture.