The umpiring standards in domestic cricket were scrutinized once more during the Ranji Trophy Elite Group A match between Mumbai and Jammu and Kashmir at the BKC ground in Mumbai. In an unusual sequence of events, Mumbai’s captain Ajinkya Rahane was called back onto the field nearly five minutes after being dismissed, as the third umpire revealed that the bowler had overstepped.
This incident took place in the 25th over of Mumbai’s second innings on day two. J&K pacer Umar Nazir bowled a short delivery that caught Rahane off guard. Rahane attempted a pull shot but only managed to glove the ball to the wicketkeeper. After the dismissal, Rahane made his way to the dressing room, and Shardul Thakur was called in to bat. However, the umpires were still reviewing the no-ball.
After some delay, the third umpire confirmed that Nazir had overstepped, prompting the on-field umpires to instruct Thakur to return to the dressing room and bring Rahane back to the crease. When Rahane returned, the umpires tried to explain the situation, but Rahane couldn’t hear them properly.
As per the laws of the game, an umpire must intervene if a batter leaves the field after a misunderstanding about being out. In such cases, the batter can be recalled until the next ball is bowled, unless it’s the final wicket of the innings.
Rahane, however, was dismissed in Nazir’s next over, caught brilliantly at mid-off by J&K captain Paras Dogra. Nazir bowled a full delivery just outside the off stump, and Rahane attempted an uppish drive, only for Dogra to dive and take a stunning one-handed catch.
Before this, there were other umpiring controversies, including a questionable decision to give Shreyas Iyer out after a potential edge to the keeper, despite his protests. Rahane, at the non-striker’s end, was seen discussing the decision with the umpires.
Meanwhile, J&K continued to dominate the match, dismissing Mumbai’s star-studded batting lineup, including Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Rahane, and Shivam Dube, none of whom managed a substantial score.
