Asia Cup Final: India A star Sai Sudharsan was given out of a controversial delivery by Pakistan A bowler Arshad Iqbal in the ongoing ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup final on Sunday (July 23) at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
The incident happened in the ninth over of India A’s innings. Iqbal bowled a short ball which Sudharsan attempted to pull, but top-edged it into the hands of Mohammad Haris. The umpire’s finger immediately went up, but replays showed that Iqbal had overstepped the crease by a considerable margin.
The third umpire was called upon to make a decision, but he upheld the on-field umpire’s decision, ruling Sudharsan out for 29. The decision caused a huge uproar on social media, with many fans and experts questioning the umpiring standards.
Sudharsan’s dismissal was a huge blow to India A’s chances of winning the match. The team was already under pressure after being put into bat first, and Sudharsan’s wicket further weakened their batting lineup. India A eventually lost the match by 39 runs.
The controversy surrounding Sudharsan’s dismissal has once again raised questions about the umpiring standards in international cricket. It is clear that the third umpire needs to be more vigilant in order to ensure that correct decisions are made.
Also Read: Asia Cup: Pakistan A Defeat India A by 128 Runs to Win ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup
Pakistan A won the ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup Final by 128 runs, defeating India A in Colombo. Tayyab Tahir was the star of the show for Pakistan A, scoring 108 off 71 balls. He was well-supported by skipper Qasim Akram, who made 63. India A made a good start in their chase, but they lost wickets at regular intervals and were eventually bowled out for 224. Nishant Sindhu was the top scorer for India A, making 56.
This was Pakistan A’s second consecutive title in the ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup. They had also won the tournament in 2021. The victory will be a boost for Pakistan A ahead of the upcoming ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup, which will be held in the West Indies later this year.
Here are some of the reactions on social media:
- “Cheap umpiring happening everywhere.” – Aakash Chopra
- “This is a joke. How can the third umpire not see that the bowler overstepped?” – Virender Sehwag
- “This is a disgrace. The umpires have ruined the match.” – Harbhajan Singh
It remains to be seen whether any action will be taken against the umpires involved in the decision. However, the controversy has certainly cast a shadow over what was otherwise a thrilling match.