Despite winning their last match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, the Lucknow SuperGiants team caught itself in a controversy that occured during the final over of the match. In a thrilling last over during the match between Lucknow SuperGIants and Sunrisers Hyderabad, where LSG needed 9 runs from the final over to win against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Captain Rishabh Pant, who was on strike, chased down the target with one ball to spare. Batting against the Sunrisers’ bowler Jaydev Unadkat, Pant hit two consecutive fours off the first two deliveries to level the scores, followed by two dot balls, and finally a boundary over mid-off on the fifth ball to seal the victory.
#ICYMI: Avesh Khan’s celebration during LSG’s win over SRH nearly cost his team the game. The pacer smashed the ball before Rishabh Pant's winning shot crossed the boundary line. The opposition team did not lodge any appeal, nor did the umpires act. The delivery could have been… pic.twitter.com/TxCJVhx0ss
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#Aveshkhan #LSG #IPL pic.twitter.com/HGIsDj76pt
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However, noticed by many fans during the telecast, the LSG bowler Avesh Khan caused a major controversy by striking the ball back into the field with his bat just before it crossed the boundary rope. The moment occurred on the penultimate ball of the final over as Rishabh Pant hit a shot over mid-off to seal the victory for LSG against SRH.
Standing near the boundary line in his pads, Avesh didn't wait for the ball to cross the rope. In a moment of premature celebration, he swung his bat and hit the ball back into the ground. His teammate Arshin Kulkarni was seen raising his hands in disbelief and concern immediately following the act.
Why wasn't the ball declared ‘dead’? The incident has triggered a heated debate over whether Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) should have been awarded 5 penalty runs. Under MCC Law 20.4.2, the delivery could have been judged a "Dead Ball" due to interference by someone from outside the field of play.
Reports from The Hindustan Times and Cricbuzz indicate that SRH is planning to write to the BCCI regarding this incident and other umpiring calls from the match.Umpires on the field did not take action at the time, likely because no fielder was nearby to be obstructed, meaning the "Unfair Play" law (Law 41) might not strictly apply.
This is the second time Avesh has faced heat for his celebrations against RCB/SRH; in IPL 2023, he was reprimanded for flinging his helmet after a last-ball win.
