Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s frustration boiled over at Ekana Stadium on Sunday as he slammed his bat to the turf, roared in anger, and then tossed his helmet straight into the Kolkata Knight Riders dugout. The KKR batter’s reaction quickly turned into disbelief for everyone around him, after he was ruled out for obstructing the field in a moment that has only happened a handful of times across 19 years of IPL history. Raghuvanshi’s animated exchange with the on-field umpires was visible before he headed back, while KKR head coach Abhishek Nayar was also seen confronting the fourth official near the boundary rope.
How Raghuvanshi was dismissed on the final ball of the over
- The incident occurred on the last delivery of the fifth over of KKR’s innings against the Lucknow Super Giants.
- Raghuvanshi struck a length ball from Prince Yadav and pushed for a single, directing the shot towards mid-on.
- Cameron Green, standing at the non-striker’s end, immediately turned down the run.
- Raghuvanshi stopped, adjusted his movement, and rushed back towards his crease, then dived in an attempt to make his ground.
- As the fielder collected the ball and threw towards the striker’s end, Raghuvanshi blocked the throw during his dive.
- Mohammed Shami appealed, and the on-field umpires sent the matter upstairs.
- After reviewing the replays, the third umpire upheld the decision, dismissing Raghuvanshi for obstructing the field.
What the playing conditions say
The decision was tied to Clause 37.1.4 of the IPL 2026 Playing Conditions: if a batter, while running between the wickets, makes a significant change of direction without probable cause and thereby blocks a fielder’s attempt to run the batter out, the batter should be given out on appeal. Importantly, the rule states that it does not matter whether a run out would have occurred.
Under that clause, the ruling rests on two key points: whether there was a change of direction, and whether there was probable cause for it. The third umpire, Rohan Pandit, focused on those elements rather than getting drawn into any discussion about intent.
Change of direction: yes
After playing the shot, Raghuvanshi moved across the pitch line. When Green turned him back, he altered course again while returning, which took him outside the natural running path before he dived.
Probable cause: not enough
The reasoning also leaned on what Raghuvanshi could see at the time. He appeared to have his eyes on the fielder and the incoming throw before diving, suggesting he was aware of the trajectory and placement of the attempt.
Intent: not part of the equation
That is where the argument erupted, with debate spreading across social media and in the commentary box, including Daren Ganga questioning the call. Raghuvanshi and the KKR dugout, featuring Nayar, were also seen challenging the decision through the same lens. However, intent is not a requirement under the law.
In the end, the outcome did not hinge on whether Raghuvanshi meant to obstruct or whether the ball would have struck the stumps. Once he changed direction and drifted into the path aligned with the throw, the dismissal was effectively sealed.
