Experienced Indian umpire Anil Chaudhary has questioned the decision to dismiss Kolkata Knight Riders batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi for obstructing the field, saying he would have ruled not out because there was no clear proof of deliberate intent.
Intent is the key
Chaudhary explained that simply changing direction while running does not amount to obstruction unless it is wilful. In his view, the umpires must weigh intent, the effect on the play and whether the act was deliberate. He pointed out that Raghuvanshi ran, stopped and turned in a split second, leaving little scope for precise control, particularly as batters tend to keep their eyes on the ball.
He added that slow-motion replays can make an incident look like obstruction, whereas watching in real time gives a truer sense of what happened. Describing it as an opinion-based decision under Law 37, he said he personally felt not out was the more suitable verdict.
Aftermath
Raghuvanshi was out for just nine and looked clearly frustrated as he left. Even so, KKR kept their composure to win the Super Over, picking up their second victory of the season. That moved them to eighth in the table with five points.
