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In today’s match between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR), an unusual dismissal occurred when CSK batter Ravindra Jadeja was given out for obstructing the field. This rare mode of dismissal has only been witnessed a handful of times in cricket, making it a topic of intrigue whenever it happens.
Interestingly, this wasn’t the first time Ravindra Jadeja found himself in a similar predicament this season. In a previous match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Jadeja was involved in another incident of obstructing the field. However, SRH captain Pat Cummins withdrew the appeal, allowing Jadeja to continue his innings.
A similar occurrence took place back in 2006 when Suresh Raina’s throw was obstructed by Inzamam ul Haq, resulting in Inzamam being given out. Rahul Dravid was the Indian captain at that time.
So, what exactly is obstructing the field dismissal? According to the MCC laws of cricket, obstructing the field occurs when a batsman intentionally hinders the fielding side from taking a catch, fielding, throwing, or hitting the stumps. Specifically, a batsman is considered out obstructing the field if they intentionally strike the ball with a hand not holding the bat while receiving a delivery from the bowler. This rule applies whether it’s the first strike or subsequent strikes, including attempting to play the ball or striking it more than once in defense of their wicket.
It’s worth noting that according to the rules, the bowler does not receive credit for this dismissal. Therefore, neither Avesh, who bowled the delivery, nor Samson, who threw the ball resulting in Jadeja’s dismissal today, was credited with the wicket.
