Maharashtra batter Ankit Bawne has been handed a one-match suspension for showing dissent during a Ranji Trophy match. The decision was communicated to the team before their sixth-round Group A fixture against Baroda in Nashik.
Bawne's suspension stems from his refusal to leave the field after being given out during the fifth-round match against Services, which took place before the start of the white-ball season.
The incident caused a stir, even though evidence suggested the ball had bounced before Shubham Rohilla completed the catch at slip off left-arm spinner Amit Shukla.
As the stand-in captain, Bawne could not challenge the decision since the match was streamed online and did not have the necessary infrastructure for the Decision Review System (DRS).
His refusal to comply led to a nearly 15-minute suspension of play, with the game resuming only after intervention from match referee Amit Sharma and Maharashtra coach Sulakshan Kulkarni.
Following the incident, Kulkarni criticized the standards of umpiring in domestic cricket, stating, "Players are fined and reprimanded, but what about proper assessments of umpires? Why do the same erring umpires continue to officiate and disrupt the game? The anger in such situations is justified."
Maharashtra's regular captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad, who was away playing for India A in Australia, also shared replays of the dismissal.
Bawne has been in excellent form for Maharashtra, scoring 361 runs in five matches this season at an average of 51.57, including one century and two fifties. However, Maharashtra's chances of reaching the playoffs are slim, as they are second from the bottom in Group A and can earn a maximum of 22 points, while Baroda and J&K have already surpassed them.
Updated on 23rd January, 2025 by MyFortune11 Team.