The Marylebone Cricket Club has defended the umpires’ decision to give Angkrish Raghuvanshi out Obstructing the Field during the IPL 2026 match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on Sunday, April 26.
The call from the umpires sparked debatewith questions raised over whether the batter had intentionally changed direction or simply reacted instinctively in a split-second moment.
The MCC clarified that the decision aligns with long-standing interpretations of the Laws of Cricket, stating that a batter who wilfully changes direction while running, especially onto or across the pitch, is deemed to be obstructing the field.
“There has long been an interpretation on this exact matter, where a batter is running as the throw comes in – it is published in Tom Smith’s Cricket Umpiring and Scoring, MCC’s Official Interpretation of the Laws of Cricket, and has been accepted for many years.
“It states: ‘a batter who changes direction while running, particularly one who changes direction to run on the pitch, or takes any other route that would not be the quickest way to the other end, is making a wilful act’,” the MCC wrote in a statement.
‘WILFUL CROSSING CAUSED RAGHUVANSHI’S DOWNFALL’
In this case, MCC said Raghuvanshi clearly altered his path onto the pitch and across the throw, meeting the definition of a wilful act. It also emphasised that whether he would have reached his ground is not relevant to the decision.
“Raghuvanshi clearly meets these criteria. When he sets off for his run, he is on the off side of the wicket. As the ball reaches the fielder he crosses to the middle of the pitch – which is not somewhere he should be running in any event – and then turns and runs back on the leg side, putting himself between the ball and the wicket,” the MCC explained.
“This is, by definition, a wilful act. Had he stayed off the pitch, remaining on the off side, the ball would not have hit him and even there would have been no question of an obstruction. If he had started running down the leg side, then turned and returned to his ground on that same side before being hit by the ball, that would also see him being Not out – he would have been in the way, but not wilfully. It is the wilful crossing of the pitch that caused his downfall,” the MCC added.
Raghuvanshi was later fined 20 percent of his match fee for his animated reaction following the dismissal. He also received one demerit point for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct. The IPL governing body confirmed that he was found guilty of a Level 1 offence under Article 2.2, which relates to abuse of equipment during a match. According to the statement, Raghuvanshi admitted to the offence.
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