The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has backed the decision made by the third umpire to dismiss Angkrish Raghuvanshi for obstructing the field during an IPL contest between Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants on April 26. The ruling came after Raghuvanshi was judged to have impeded play during an attempted quick single, a call that sparked immediate debate among the teams involved.
Raghuvanshi became only the fourth batter in IPL history to be given out for obstructing the field. The dismissal occurred on the last ball of the fifth over as he attempted a sharp run. Cameron Green was his partner at the crease, and Raghuvanshi set off along one side of the pitch. However, his movement looked abnormal in terms of timing and angle, as his turning required more space than a typical sprint-and-turn. As he stretched into a sprawling dive to reach his ground, Mohammed Shami’s throw from mid-on struck him, prompting an appeal from the Lucknow fielders. After that, the third umpire adjudged him out under ICC Law 37, specifically for obstructing the field.
In an explanation released by MCC, the focus was placed on Law 37.1.1. The clause states that a batter can be declared out for obstructing the field if they “wilfully attempt to obstruct or distract the fielding side by word or action.” MCC also pointed to an established interpretation from Tom Smith’s Cricket Umpiring and Scoring, which it said forms the official basis of its reading of the playing conditions.
That interpretation, as presented in MCC’s clarification, describes the conduct as a wilful act when a batter alters course during a run—particularly when they change direction to run onto the pitch—or chooses any route that is not the quickest path to the opposite end.
MCC maintained that Raghuvanshi’s actions matched those guidelines. The statement argued that when Raghuvanshi began the run, he was positioned on one side of the wicket. As Shami’s throw arrived, he crossed toward the middle of the pitch, turned again and ran back along the leg side. In MCC’s view, this sequence placed him in the line of the throw and the stumps. “This is, by definition, a wilful act,” MCC said, adding that “it is the wilful crossing of the pitch that caused his downfall.”
The clarification further stressed that whether Raghuvanshi had managed to make his crease was not central to the dismissal. MCC said the decision under obstructing the field does not hinge on whether the wicket was likely to be successfully defended, noting that “whether a dismissal was likely is not a criterion in Obstructing the field.”
The moment quickly became a flashpoint, with Kolkata’s support group visibly unhappy with the call. Head coach Abhishek Nayar was also seen speaking with the fourth umpire. Raghuvanshi himself reacted strongly after the decision, expressing frustration as he walked back—waving his bat, then striking the boundary cushion, before throwing his helmet away. He was fined 20% of his match fee and received a demerit point for breaching the ICC code of conduct. Despite the controversy, the match ultimately swung back in KKR’s favour, with the result decided in a Super Over.
