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Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) batter Ayush Badoni found himself embroiled in controversy during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 clash against Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Vihari Bajpyee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Tuesday (April 30).
Ayush Badoni’s dismissal drama
In the critical 19th over of the match, Badoni executed a cut shot towards the deep cover region off a short and wide delivery from Hardik Pandya. With swift footwork, the batters completed the first run and eyed the possibility of a second. A precise throw from substitute fielder Naman Dhir aimed at the striker’s end heightened the tension. Wicket-keeper Ishan Kishan, though initially fumbling, successfully dislodged the bails. Badoni, in a desperate attempt, dived to cross the crease, but his bat momentarily lifted into the air.
Umpire’s final decision
Upon reviewing the replays, the third umpire ruled Badoni out, deeming his bat to be airborne when the LED stumps were lit up. The batter, visibly stunned by the umpire’s decision, left the field disheartened. However, the replays revealed a nuanced scenario: while the entirety of Badoni’s bat extended over the line, including a portion of the handle, neither his bat nor body made contact with the ground beyond the crease when Ishan Kishan eventually dislodged the bails on the second attempt.
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MCC Law: Understanding the rule
As per MCC Law 30.1.1, if neither the batter’s bat nor body is grounded beyond the crease when the bails are dislodged, they are deemed out, as was the case with Badoni.
“A batter shall be considered to be out of his/her ground unless some part of his/her person bat is grounded behind the popping crease of that end,” the law reads.
LSG triumph despite controversy
Fortunately for LSG, the contentious dismissal didn’t prove costly as they clinched the match by four wickets, with four balls to spare, chasing down the target of 145. The main architect of LSG’s victory was the experienced Australian all-rounder, Marcus Stoinis, whose brilliant innings of 62 runs off 45 balls, featuring seven boundaries and two maximums, turned the tide in their favor in the low-scoring encounter. With this triumph over MI, LSG rose to third place in the standings, accumulating 12 points from 10 matches, with six victories to their credit.
