Third umpire Rohan Pandit’s decision to rule Angkrish Raghuvanshi
“Obstructing the Field” during the IPL 2026 match of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) was approved by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) on Thursday with a detailed explanation.
The incident occurred at the Ekana Stadium on 26 April when KKR batsman Raghuvanshi stepped down the pitch for a single but was sent back to mid-on by batting partner Cameron Green. As a result, Raghuvanshi, who had already run out, turned and tried to return to his crease, getting between Mohammed Shami’s throw and the stumps.
As a result, the ball hit Raghuvanshi’s boots, prompting Shami to appeal for “Obstructing the Field”. After a review, Pandit dismissed Raghuvanshi under Law 37. The decision did not go down well with the KKR players and support staff who expressed their displeasure at the decision. Even head coach Abhishek Nayar was also seen arguing with the fourth umpire on the sidelines.
Four days after the incident, the MCC (guardian of the laws of the game) issued a detailed explanation saying that the umpire was absolutely right in his decision. The MCC has stated that Law 37.1.1 deems batted if they “deliberately attempt to obstruct or distract a fielder by word or deed”, emphasizing the intention behind the movement rather than just the result.
What did MCC say on Raghuvanshi’s recall?
The MCC cited a long-standing interpretation in cricket umpiring and scoring by Tom Smith, which states that if a batsman changes direction during a run – especially one who changes direction to run on the pitch or takes any other route that would not be the quickest route to the other end – it constitutes an intentional act.
The MCC said that Raghuvanshi clearly met the criteria. “When he runs, he is outside the wicket. When the ball reaches the fielder, he goes into the middle of the pitch – which is not where he should be running in any way – and then turns and runs back to the leg side, putting himself between the ball and the wicket. This is obviously a deliberate act.”
“If he had stayed out of bounds and stayed offside, the ball wouldn’t have hit him and there wouldn’t even be any obstruction. If he started down the leg side, then turned and came back to the ground on the same side before the ball hit him, that would also see that he wasn’t off – he would be in the way, but not on purpose.” It is an intentional overstepping of the pitch.
The MCC statement also clarified that whether a dismissal is likely is not a criterion in Obstructing the field. After his dismissal, Raghuvanshi angrily hit the boundary pads with his bat and also threw his helmet on the ground, for which the KKR batsman was sanctioned by the BCCI.
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