The CSK vs RR match on May 12 witnessed Ravindra Jadeja losing his wicket in a bizarre manner. In the 16th over of the innings, the CSK all-rounder found himself in danger while running for a double. Sanju Samson attempted a run-out, but Jadeja obstructed the stumps while running in the trajectory of the ball. Consequently, the ball struck Jadeja.
The Rajasthan Royals team appealed for obstruction of the field, and upon reviewing the replay, the TV umpire ruled Ravindra Jadeja out. The 35-year-old all-rounder departed after scoring 5 runs off 7 balls.
Ravindra Jadeja: 3rd Batter in IPL History to Out for Obstructing the Field
It was déjà vu from the CSK’s encounter with SRH earlier this season. In that match, Jadeja found himself in the same predicament, positioned in front of the stumps as Bhuvneshwar Kumar hurled the ball towards them. However, Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins opted not to appeal, and if he had, Jadeja would have been dismissed via the same mode twice today.
Interestingly, with the dismissal today, Ravindra Jadeja became only the third batter, after Yusuf Pathan and Amit Mishra, to be dismissed via obstructing the field in IPL history.
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In the RR vs PWI match in 2013, Yusuf Pathan became the first ever player to be dismissed for obstructing the field in the IPL. In 2019, Amit Mishra fell victim to this mode of dismissal. Today, Ravindra Jadeja has joined them in this rare club.
However, it’s not always the case that if a batter is in front of the wicket, they will be given out. It’s up to the umpire to determine if the obstruction was intentional or not. According to Clause 37.1.4 of the Laws of Cricket, if the umpire determines that a batter changed their direction significantly without justifiable reason, hindering a fielder’s attempt to make a run-out, the batter may be given out for obstructing the field upon appeal.