Sunrisers Hyderabad are expected to raise a formal complaint with the BCCI after an incident involving Lucknow Super Giants player Avesh Khan during their IPL 2026 fixture against LSG on Sunday. The flashpoint came on the final delivery of the contest on April 5, with SRH disputing how the situation was handled and whether the match officials should have reviewed it under specific playing regulations.
What happened in the last-ball moment
The controversy centred on the last ball when LSG captain Rishabh Pant struck Jaydev Unadkat for a boundary. As the ball was travelling towards the rope, Avesh Khan—positioned close to the dugout area—appeared to hit it back into the field with his bat.
- The debate was whether the ball had already crossed the boundary line at the time Avesh intervened.
- SRH supporters argued that, under the concept of a dead ball and the rules governing unfair conduct, the batting side should receive penalty runs.
- Those references pointed to Law 20.1 (dead ball) and Law 41 (unfair play).
Why the boundary call stood
Despite SRH’s concerns, the incident did not lead to a change in the on-field decision. An umpire involved in the situation, as quoted in the report, indicated that the conditions needed to apply unfair play were not met.
- There was no fielder positioned right next to the ball when Avesh made contact.
- The action was not treated as an attempt to prevent a definite scoring outcome.
- As a result, the unfair play regulations were not invoked.
- The umpire’s view was that there was no justification to alter the boundary decision.
Match context: Lucknow’s chase completed
At that stage, Lucknow required only a single run because the scores were level. They successfully finished their chase with one delivery remaining, keeping five wickets in hand.
SRH’s wider grievances and previous match complaints
While the outcome of the April 5 game is not expected to be reversed, the report suggests SRH are unhappy with how the matter was dealt with and may write to the BCCI. The franchise is also believed to be frustrated by decisions from earlier matches in the season.
Opening match vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru
In SRH’s first game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the team expressed concern regarding the dismissal of Heinrich Klaasen. Klaasen was ruled out after being caught near the boundary by Phil Salt off Romario Shepherd.
Second match vs Kolkata Knight Riders
SRH’s second match at Eden Gardens against Kolkata Knight Riders also left them dissatisfied. Their concern was over the dismissal of Abhishek Sharma.
- Varun Chakaravarthy took a diving catch off Blessing Muzarabani in the ninth over.
- There were doubts about whether the catch was completed cleanly, with no conclusive evidence appearing to confirm it.
What SRH are expected to do next
Even though these specific results and decisions are unlikely to change, SRH are reportedly set to pursue the matter through the BCCI. The push is expected to include the April 5 incident involving Avesh, alongside their earlier complaints from the Klaasen and Abhishek Sharma dismissals.
