Who started in Angkrish Raghuvanshi vs MI? KKR's concussion call sparks debate

Kolkata Knight Riders’ must-win clash against Mumbai Indians on May 20 ended in victory on the field but also left a lot of confusion over one of the strangest substitution moments of IPL 2026. Questions quickly surfaced online after KKR appeared to be using a concussion replacement for Angkrish Raghuvanshi despite the youngster seemingly only suffering a finger injury during the game.

Confusion began midway through Mumbai Indians’ innings when Raghuvanshi got injured while attempting a full-length catch off the bowling of Varun Chakravarthy in the 11th over. The KKR youngster initially continued to defend after the incident before eventually leaving the field in the 14th over for further treatment.

KKR vs MI: Highlighting | Scorecard

Tejasvi Singh Dahiya then took over the wicketkeeping duties for the remainder of the innings.

But things got a lot more confusing during the shift break.

KKR’s official social media page announced that Ramandeep Singh has replaced Angkrish Raghuvanshi as a concussion replacement. The update immediately sparked a debate among fans as Raghuvanshi appeared to have suffered a finger injury rather than any visible impact to the head or neck.

Then came another twist.

When KKR lost Rovman Powell in a 24-run chase, still needing 28 balls, it wasn’t Ramandeep Singh who walked out to bat. Instead, Tejasvi Dahiya came on at number seven, adding to the confusion surrounding who officially replaced Raghuvanshi in the match.

Later, KKR quietly deleted a social media post that mentioned Ramandeep Singh as a concussion replacement.

And that only intensified the debate.

WHY DID KKR’S REPLACEMENT SHOCK CREATE CONFUSION?

Under IPL playing conditions, teams can only use a concussion substitute if a player suffers a confirmed or suspected concussion associated with a head or neck injury.

The substitution must also be approved by the match referee and must remain a “like” substitution so that the teams do not gain an unfair tactical advantage.

Hence the KKR stand-in immediately raised eyebrows.

At least from the images available during the broadcast and the information shared publicly by the franchise, it appeared that Raghuvanshi only injured his finger while diving for the catch. There were no visible signs of head or neck injuries during the incident.

KKR also did not officially clarify whether Raghuvanshi suffered any delayed symptoms of concussion after he left the field.

This gap in communication quickly led to confusion among fans online, especially after Ramandeep Singh was initially named as a replacement before Tejasvi Dahiya eventually walked out to bat.

Interestingly, Mumbai Indians faced a similar concussion replacement controversy earlier this season during their clash against Chennai Super Kings.

during that game Shardul Thakur replaced Mitchell Santner after the New Zealand all-rounder was injured in a diving catch. Although Santner visibly injured his shoulder, MI later clarified that he also suffered a knock to the neck and dizziness, leading the match officials to approve a concussion replacement.

However, KKR’s situation still remains much less clear.

KKR EXPERIENCED PLAYOFF HOPE

Amid all the turmoil, KKR still managed to secure a massive win against Mumbai Indians to keep their IPL 2026 playoff hopes alive.

Chasing 148 at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata held their nerve in a tense finish before Rinku Singh finally hit the winning runs to seal the chase.

The win moved KKR to 13 points, level with Punjab Kings, keeping them firmly alive in the battle for the final play-off spots heading into the final stages of the league stage.

– The end

Issued by:

Debodinna Chakraborty

Published on:

21 May 2026 0:34 IST