Raghuvanshi explains: Should Pant withdraw his appeal?

New Delhi: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)’s dismissal of Angkrish Raghuvanshi for obstructing the pitch during Sunday’s match against Lucknow Supergiants (LSG) has sparked a wider debate not just about the law but also the “spirit of the game” and whether LSG captain Rishabh Pant should withdraw his appeal.The incident occurred when Raghuvanshi tried to hit a quick single but when the ball was thrown in the infield, he was sent back and dived to ground. The ball hit him and Mohammad Shami appealed. After the referral, a third referee ruled him out due to a change in running line.

according to intense pulsed light Under the conditions of play (Article 37.1.4), a batsman can be dismissed whether or not a run is possible if he “significantly changes direction without reasonable cause and thereby hinders the fielder’s attempt to make a run”.Speaking to Cricbuzz after the match, former India cricketer Rohan Gavaskar disagreed with the decision, saying: “I don’t think it’s over yet because when the ball came and the batsman dived, he didn’t look at the ball.“He wanted to make that dive. If he was looking at the ball, then he wasn’t going to dive because he knew if he dived, the ball was going to hit his body. When he made that dive, that means it was unintentional. So I don’t think the ball went out of bounds yet.”

Indian Premier League 2026: Should Rishabh Pant withdraw his appeal?

The bigger question, however, is whether Pant, as captain, can withdraw his appeal. Former India cricketer Virender Sehwag said: “When you win, you as captain, think we can give up on this. But since Lucknow did not win, then they thought we can get this wicket and we will get the benefit. So they appealed and as per the law, it is the right appeal.“But we can say, in the spirit of the game, they shouldn’t do it. But when you make the law, where is the spirit of the game?“But I will say it was the third referee’s decision and he saw it on TV. He wasn’t looking at the ball when he made the save… so it was a harsh call indeed.” In a match that starred Sunil Narine and Rinku Singh, Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL Premier League 2026. Narine’s two-hit combo restricted LSG, while Rinku sealed the win with a boundary. The win lifted KKR from the bottom of the table after a tense game in Lucknow.