In a highly dramatic moment during the IPL 2025 encounter between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians, Ishan Kishan’s departure from the crease left fans and experts questioning both the batter’s move and the umpire’s decision-making. The unusual incident unfolded at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Wednesday when Kishan attempted to glance a delivery from Deepak Chahar down the leg side. The ball was neatly collected by SRH wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton, but notably, there was no appeal for a catch either from the bowler or the keeper.
Surprisingly, on-field umpire Vinod Seshan looked ready to call the ball wide. However, in a puzzling turn of events, Ishan Kishan voluntarily started walking back, seemingly believing he had edged the ball. Despite no visible indication or sound of contact with the bat and no appeal from the fielding side, the umpire reversed his call and raised his finger, declaring the batter out.
What has intensified the controversy is that replays and UltraEdge technology confirmed there was no spike or deviation—clearly showing that Kishan hadn’t nicked the delivery. According to MCC’s Law 31.7, if a batter walks off under the incorrect belief of being dismissed and hasn’t actually been given out, the umpire is allowed to call it a dead ball and recall the player before the next delivery is bowled. Yet, that rule was not followed in Kishan’s case.
The law states: “An umpire shall intervene if satisfied that a batter, not having been given out, has left the wicket under a misapprehension of being out. The umpire intervening shall call and signal Dead ball… and shall recall the batter.” The rule gives room for correction until the next ball is in play unless the dismissal was the final wicket of the innings—which wasn’t the case here.
Cricket fans and former players alike were left stunned by the umpire’s failure to apply the law correctly. Many also questioned Ishan’s decision to walk off without using the DRS, especially given the match circumstances. The dismissal sparked a rapid collapse in SRH’s batting order, as they were reduced to 13/4 in just 4.1 overs, following the early exit of Travis Head for a four-ball duck.
However, Heinrich Klaasen’s fighting knock of 71 runs from 44 balls, along with support from Abhinav Manohar who contributed 43 off 37, helped Sunrisers Hyderabad reach a decent total of 143/8 by the end of their 20 overs. Despite the late recovery, the focus of the match remained on the bizarre dismissal of Ishan Kishan, raising serious concerns about the consistency in applying cricket’s rulebook.
