The Indian cricketer Ruturaj Gaikwad is currently in Australia where he is leading the India A team against the Australia A team but this doesn’t mean that he is unaware of what is happening in Indian domestic circuits.
Recently Ruturaj Gaikwad took to his Instagram Story in order to voice his frustration over a controversial decision during a recent Ranji Trophy match between Maharashtra and Services in Pune. The incident, which involved Maharashtra’s stand-in captain Ankit Bawne, led to widespread debate on social media, further fueled by Ruturaj Gaikwad’s response on Instagram.
Ankit Bawne was batting on 73 when he edged a delivery from Services spinner Amit Shukla. The ball was caught at second slip by opener Shubham Rohilla, but replays and slow-motion footage shared by Gaikwad suggested that the ball had bounced before reaching the fielder. Nevertheless, the appeal was upheld by the umpire, leading to Bawne’s dismissal. This decision sparked a collapse for Maharashtra, as they fell from 137/3 to 185 all-out, conceding a 108-run first-innings deficit. Amit Shukla went on to claim seven wickets in the innings.
Ruturaj Gaikwad, currently in Melbourne for India A’s second match against Australia A, expressed his discontent through an Instagram story. Posting a slow-motion video of the catch, he questioned, “How can this be given out in a live game???” His criticism extended beyond the umpire to the Services players, with Gaikwad commenting, “Shame to even appeal this for a catch!” and labeling the situation as “Absolutely pathetic”.
Here is the post:
https://x.com/vijeet_rathi/status/1854521747107618870
While Ruturaj Gaikwad has focused on cricketing duties in Australia, his form has been a challenge, managing only 9 runs across three innings in the unofficial test series. However, before departing for national duty, Ruturaj Gaikwad had been in strong form domestically, including a century for Maharashtra.
Maharashtra currently holds the fifth spot in Elite Group A of the Ranji Trophy standings, just above Services, who are sixth. Ruturaj Gaikwad’s public response highlights ongoing concerns about umpiring standards in domestic cricket and the need for further scrutiny and consistency to ensure fair play.
