Who Said What: Experts React to the Wild Umpiring Drama in IND vs SL Super Over

Cricket followers adore drama, but the India vs Sri Lanka Asia Cup 2025 clash provided us with something more absurd than a last-ball nail-biter. We had a tied game, a Super Over, and then a rulebook headache that left everyone dumbfounded. Dasun Shanaka was found to be obstructing the field, was run out, and then he was declared out after a full appeal and an outlandish law that rendered the ball dead. Bewildered? Don’t be concerned, you were not alone. Team India looked equally perplexed. Of course, pundits chimed in with their assessments, and let’s just say, opinions were as hot as the Dubai biryani.

Irfan Pathan

Pathan wasted no time in assuming the role of ‘lawyer’ on social media to explain why Shanaka was not out run-out. Since the umpire called him out caught behind first, the ball was dead-ball automatically, even though Sanju Samson’s throw from underarm had hit the stumps prior. No double dismissal here, boys. Pathan coolly explained that the first decision stays until reviewed, and that’s how Shanaka escaped.

Krishnamachari Srikkanth

Srikkanth, never one to pull his punches, questioned why Arshdeep even appealed in the first place. (Even from behind the stumps, Samson didn’t think it was out.) As Srikkanth said, Shanaka—a former captain—clearly knew there was a loophole, reviewed it immediately, and walked away grinning. He said he’s never seen the umpires both give a batter out for him to survive. Truly a first for cricket’s always-expanding view of “you can’t make THIS up.”

Aakash Chopra

In the meantime, Aakash Chopra wasn’t really worried about what it meant for Shanaka, inasmuch as what it does for the future of matches. Something like, a batter is given out, the ball rolled away for four, and the decision is then overturned, shucks, no runs, ball was dead! As he cautioned fans, expect fights on Twitter when this situation eventually decides a match at a significant point. To him, this is more than an oddity; this is a cricketing rule grenade.

Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik viewed it in the exact opposite way—he believed Shanaka took advantage of a loophole, instead of outsmarting India. In DK’s point of view, Shanaka didn’t even know if he hit the ball, but ran for the run until the review saved him. DK’s main worry? That this won’t be a one-off. If, in the heat of the moment, needing four off one ball, we get a dead-ball call, the sport will be flipped on its head. He admitted he has not yet come up with a solution—but they absolutely have to do something before controversy becomes unavoidable.

Laws of cricket are supposed to provide clarity; sometimes, they create anything but clarity. The real question is, are we going to address this gap before it costs a team a major trophy, or is one major trophy just the price we’ll pay before we see the next episode of our cricketing soap opera?

FAQs

 1: What was the controversy in the IND vs SL Asia Cup 2025 Super Over?

Dasun Shanaka was given caught behind and also run out, but survived after review due to the dead-ball rule.

2: Why was Shanaka not run out despite being short of the crease?

Because once he was declared caught behind, the ball became dead and the run-out was invalid.

3: What did Irfan Pathan say about the incident?

Pathan explained that the first decision made the ball dead, so the run-out couldn’t stand.

Disclaimer: This Exclusive News is based on the author’s understanding, analysis, and instinct. As you review this information, consider the points mentioned and form your own conclusions.

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