Abhimanyu Easwaran Run Out After Stepping Out For Water in Ranji Trophy Match

Bengal captain Abhimanyu Easwaran was run out in unusual circumstances after assuming the ball was dead during a Ranji Trophy match.

Bengal captain Abhimanyu Easwaran suffered a strange and unfortunate dismissal on Thursday after being run out while stepping out of his crease to drink water, believing the ball was dead.

The incident took place during Bengal’s sixth-round Ranji Trophy match against Services. Easwaran was batting confidently on 81 and looked on course for his 28th first-class century when a brief lapse in judgment brought his innings to an abrupt end.

On the final ball of the 41st over, bowled by Aditya Kumar, Sudip Chatterjee played a full-length delivery straight back to the bowler. Assuming the over had ended and that drinks had been called, Easwaran stepped out of his crease and began walking forward. He was not attempting a run or trying to gain any advantage.

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However, the ball brushed Aditya Kumar’s fingers and deflected onto the stumps. With Easwaran already out of his ground, Services appealed, and the on-field umpires referred the matter to the third umpire. After reviewing the incident, the batter was given run out.

Speaking after the end of the day’s play, Easwaran accepted responsibility for the dismissal and made it clear that he did not expect the opposition to withdraw their appeal.

“The innings was going very well, but the mistake I made surprised even me,” he said. “Some might feel the opposition could’ve called me back in the spirit of the game, but there was no question of that. It was entirely my fault. I thought the bowler had collected the ball and instinctively moved forward.”

Laxmi Ratan Shukla Backs The Decision

Bengal head coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla also backed the opposition’s decision and dismissed comparisons with the famous Ian Bell run-out incident during the 2011 Trent Bridge Test between India and England. In that match, Bell was run out after assuming the ball was dead, but India later withdrew their appeal following a request from England captain Andrew Strauss.

“They may look similar, but you cannot compare the two directly,” Shukla said. “That was a different era and different circumstances. This was simply a mistake on the batter’s part. It doesn’t mean he lacks awareness; he is a senior player, but cricket can be unpredictable. While the opposition could have considered calling him back, but there is nothing wrong in their decision not to. Everything happened within the laws of the game.”

The unusual dismissal ended a promising innings for Easwaran and became one of the talking points of the Ranji Trophy round, highlighting how quickly the game can turn on a moment of misunderstanding.