Team India triumphs over England, winning the Pune T20 by 15 runs and leading the five-match T20 series 3-1. Harshit Rana took the field as a concussion substitute, stirring controversy after replacing batting all-rounder Shivam Dube. He impressed everyone with his exceptional bowling, claiming three wickets.
Ashwin Raises Questions on Match Officials
Pace bowler Harshit Rana dismissed Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, and Jamie Overton, turning the match around. Notably, Shivam Dube sustained a head injury while batting, which allowed Harshit to step in as a concussion substitute. Now, former Team India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has weighed in, questioning the decision. Ashwin compared the scenario to an IPL match and challenged the officials' decision.
R. Ashwin commented on YouTube, 'The game ended, and India secured another series victory at home. What a match it was! It felt like an IPL game. The supersub feature was present alongside the impact player in the game. The whole discussion revolves around how Harshit Rana replaced Shivam Dube as a concussion substitute.'
He further explained, 'Have we forgotten it was an international match? Are we playing IPL? I understand this has happened before. In Canberra, Ravi Jadeja was concussed, leading to Yuzvendra Chahal entering as a substitute. I found it hard to grasp. At least then, Chahal replaced Jadeja, a spinner for a spinner.'
Source: aajtak
R. Ashwin further expressed, 'Here, Harshit Rana replaced Shivam Dube. Neither the Indian nor the English team played a role here. If there's no one in the team, you could argue Harshit can perform some batting and Shivam some bowling, hence the choice. With players like Ramandeep Singh sitting out, it was puzzling.'
'A Total Miscalculation'
Ultimately, R. Ashwin stated, 'This is a complete cricketing miscalculation, whether by the umpires or the match referee. Players like Ramandeep Singh, akin to Shivam Dube, were available. Yet, Harshit Rana was chosen as a concussion substitute. I believe those responsible should re-evaluate this decision.'
According to ICC regulations, if a player sustains a head or eye injury during play, the Concussion Substitute Rule applies. However, the substitution must be like-for-like. Harshit Rana is a fast bowler, whereas Shivam Dube is a batting all-rounder. This decision was indeed surprising, though such substitutions require the match referee's approval. Jawagal Srinath served as the match referee in this match.
