Sign In
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
New Delhi: Sri Lanka’s Dasun Shanaka created a moment of confusion during the Super Over against India in the Asia Cup on Friday. On the fourth ball, Shanaka appeared to be run out by Sanju Samson after stepping out of his crease to attempt a shot. However, after a brief delay and a referral to the third umpire, he was ruled not out which sparked debate and questions about the unusual sequence of events.
The confusion began when Shanaka moved down the pitch to face a yorker from Arshdeep Singh. Singh appealed for a caught behind and the on-field umpire initially raised his finger, signalling Shanaka out. Meanwhile, Samson threw a direct hit at the stumps in an attempt to run him out. Shanaka immediately referred the caught-behind decision upstairs to third umpire Masudur Rahman. After multiple replays he confirmed that the ball had not touched Shanaka’s bat and overturned the caught-behind dismissal.
The key reason Shanaka was also not given out for the run out relates to the Laws of Cricket. According to MCC regulations, “the ball will be deemed to be dead from the instant of the incident causing the dismissal.” In this case, the initial caught-behind appeal which was later overturned constituted that incident. By the time Samson’s direct hit came in, the ball was already considered dead which made the run-out attempt invalid.
Shanaka’s reprieve created brief chaos on the field with India captain Suryakumar Yadav checking with the umpires about the ruling. Former Sri Lanka captain and coach Sanath Jayasuriya weighed in on the situation and explained that the first decision is always counted. “If you appeal for the catch, then Dasun could go up to the third umpire. It was the first decision that counts always, not the second. So he went for the referral, and it was not out,” Jayasuriya said. He also noted that while the rules were followed, there remain a few grey areas that officials may need to clarify further.
Despite escaping the run out, Shanaka was dismissed on the very next ball, slicing one to deep third man. Sri Lanka lost both wickets in five balls of the Super Over, leaving India a target of three runs. Suryakumar Yadav then crushed the first ball from Wanindu Hasaranga through the covers to help India seal thrilling victory.
