WATCH: Comedy of errors! Hardik Pandya, Rahul Dravid ask Yuzendra Chahal to return, but rules step in | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Apart from the thrilling encounter between India and West Indies in the first T20I, the fans at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad were treated to a comical sequence of errors.

After the dismissal of Kuldeep Yadav, the number 9 batsman, by Romario Shepherd, Yuzvendra Chahal walked in to bat at No.10.
However, just as he reached the middle, he was called back by captain Hardik Pandya and coach Rahul Dravid.

Interestingly, Mukesh Kumar was already prepared and was standing at the boundary ropes with his pads and helmet on, indicating that the team management intended him to bat at No. 10 instead of Chahal.

Chahal was given that message by substitute player Umran Malik and he began to run back to the pavilion. But since he had already stepped on to the field of play, the umpires called Chahal back to bat.

The umpires invoked MCC rule 25.2, which states: “The innings of the first two batters, and that of any new batter on the resumption of play after a call of Time, shall commence at the call of Play. At any other time, a batter’s innings shall be considered to have commenced when that batter first steps onto the field of play.”
The rule dictated that it was too late to make the switch as Chahal had already stepped onto the field of play. Chahal was considered the legal batter as per the laws of cricket.
WATCH:

India needed 10 off 5 balls when Chahal came to the crease. India, eventually, lost the match by 4 runs.
The second T20I will be played on Sunday at Providence Stadium in Guyana.