A big controversy has taken over the ongoing TATA Indian Premier League (TATA IPL 2026) after a shocking decision during the match between the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on April 26. Angkrish Raghuvanshi was given out for ‘obstructing the field.’
He was even punished by the IPL for his post-dismissal wrath. Now, the cricket world is divided over the controversial obstruction of the field decision. Many believe the decision was too harsh and unfair, and now the former ICC Elite Panel umpire Anil Choudhary has given his verdict.
Angkrish Raghuvanshi is given out in a shocking umpire decision
The incident took place in the fifth over of KKR’s batting when Angkrish Raghuvanshi played a soft shot and tried to take a single. But halfway through, the young batter was sent back by his partner Cameron Green and had to rush back to his crease.
While turning and diving to save himself, Angkrish Raghuvanshi ran close to the pitch area. At the same time, Mohammed Shami threw the ball towards the stumps, and it hit Raghuvanshi’s pad during his dive.
Immediately, the LSG captain Rishabh Pant and Shami appealed, claiming that the KKR batter had blocked the throw. The decision went to the third umpire, who ruled Raghuvanshi out for obstructing the field. This shocked everyone and sparked frustration in the KKR camp.
Anil Chaudhary’s different view on the obstruction call
Now, former umpire Anil Chaudhary has shared his opinion on the controversy. He felt sorry for Raghuvanshi, saying the batter was just trying to save his wicket and was not even looking at the ball when it hit him. He feels the decision could have been handled in a better way.
Chaudhary explained in a video posted on his Instagram handle: “All the issues related to Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s obstructing the field are under discussion. There are three or four very important things. Number one: change in direction. A batsman isn’t given out just for a change in direction. A willful change in direction must be deliberate.”
The umpire-turned-commentator further explained, “Because there are many such cases where batsmen run straight with absolutely no change in direction, yet they still cause an obstruction. You have to look at the intent, you have to look at the impact, and you have to see whether it is deliberate or not.”
“The batsman ran, stopped, and then turned; he went in the other direction with that same momentum, and a batsman has very little time. It is not possible for a batsman to run in a perfectly drawn straight line, and when a batsman plays straight, he often watches the ball.”
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It was not out: Anil Chaudhary slams the controversial call
Chaudhary has stressed that if you watch the incident in real time, people may have different opinions about the decision, but according to him, Angkrish Raghuvanshi was “not out.”
The former umpire signed off by saying, “When he dived into the crease to make his ground, he was not looking at the ball. I feel that it is always beneficial to look at ‘obstructing the field’ in real-time. If you watch it in a replay, you might feel that it is [obstruction], but if you watch it in real-time, you can form a slightly better opinion. It is an opinion call. I personally felt ‘not out’ was a better call.”
