Irani Cup 2024-25: Contentious umpiring decisions raise eyebrows

Television umpire Abhijeet Bengeri found himself at the centre of controversies during the day four of the Irani Cup match between Rest of India (RoI) and Mumbai at the Ekana Stadium.

Mumbai’s Sarfaraz Khan in action during the Irani Trophy against Rest of India. | Photo Credit: SANDEEP SAXENA/ The Hindu

An eventful day four of the Irani Cup match between Rest of India (RoI) and Mumbai at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on Friday became even more dramatic with two contentious umpiring decisions that left both teams feeling aggrieved.

Television umpire Abhijeet Bengeri found himself at the centre of both controversies. The first occurred shortly after Lunch when Yash Dayal was ruled not out, much to the dismay of the Mumbai side, which argued with the on-field officials. Later, in the final minutes of the day, RoI players openly expressed their displeasure when Bengeri declined to rule Mumbai’s Sarfaraz Khan out for obstructing the field.

The first incident took place in the fifth over after Lunch. Saransh Jain attempted a quick second run after a push to mid-off that resulted in an overthrow. Yash Dayal was racing to the non-striker’s end as Shreyas Iyer made a sharp throw while turning blindly. Shams Mulani whipped off the bails, and with the middle stump dislodged, Dayal’s bat was just on the line. However, the wooden bails did not clearly come off the stumps until Dayal had crossed the line, leading to a not-out decision. This prompted a lengthy discussion between captain Ajinkya Rahane and on-field umpires Khalid Sayed and Akshay Totre.

In the very next over, Rahane appeared to have a lapse in concentration, dropping a simple catch off the first ball bowled by Tanush Kotian. Nonetheless, the error did not cost Mumbai much as Kotian struck three times in quick succession, including a run-out of Dayal, which wrapped up the RoI innings.

The second controversy unfolded with around 20 minutes left in the day’s play. As Kotian drove the ball wide of B Sai Sudharsan at mid-off, Sarfaraz attempted to reach the other end, watching the ball as he ran. He changed his direction before crossing the crease, and the ball hit him on the shoulder. Sarfaraz collapsed to the ground, requiring treatment, while RoI appealed for an obstructing-the-field dismissal. After reviewing multiple replays, Bengeri ruled that Sarfaraz’s actions were “unintentional,” and he was therefore not out.

Under MCC Law 37.1.1, RoI players might have had grounds to feel wronged, as they felt a crucial wicket had been denied.