Win Projections to be updated soon
On Thursday, February 20, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat and Kerala faced off in the first semi-final of the 2024–25 Ranji Trophy, which was engulfed in controversy.
The tourists’ introduction of a concussion substitute on Day 4 of the game sparked a heated controversy.
While fielding during Kerala’s innings on Wednesday, Ravi Bishnoi, the leg spinner for India and Gujarat, suffered a facial injury. In order to get treated for a nosebleed incident, he left the field of play early on Wednesday. However, Hemang Patel, a seam-bowling all-rounder, was added to the XI to replace Bishnoi. Kerala was informed of this development during the day’s play.
Gujarat brought in Hemang at No. 5 after Kerala off-spinner Jalaj Saxena claimed a few wickets in the opening session of Day 4. Curiously, he was promoted before captain Chintan Gaja and the team’s top scorer for the current edition, Jaymeet Patel. Saxena was seen disputing with the on-field referees about the two players’ different duties, keeping in mind that concussion substitutes often follow a like-for-like substitution policy.
As a bowler, Ravi Bishnoi typically bats nine or ten for his team. A player who bats really well is then promoted to bat at number five as a concussion player. I was telling the umpire that I felt that was unfair to us. Make him bat at number eleven, at the very least, if you have substituted another batter for him. At that point, he hit several vital runs, and it became clear that he wasn’t a bowler. “He was a bowling batter and not a Bishnoi substitute,” a displeased Saxena said, as reported by The Indian Express.
As Gujarat trails Kerala’s 457 by just 28 runs after Day 4 in an attempt to take the lead and, consequently, a spot in the final, Hemang’s 27-run knock off 41 balls appears to have had a significant impact on the game’s outcome.
Hemang was selected above three players in the squad who had higher First-Class averages than him: Kshitij Patel, Umang Kumar, and Het Patel. Saxena and the Kerala team management, however, claim that his participation was called “unfair” to Kerala.
India
