The strange Ishan Kishan walk-off during the SRH vs MI clash in Hyderabad has sparked confusion and criticism over umpiring decisions.
In a bizarre moment during the IPL 2025 clash between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Ishan Kishan was dismissed under unusual circumstances — raising questions about both the batter’s decision-making and the umpire’s handling of the situation.
Facing Deepak Chahar, Ishan attempted to glance a delivery down the leg side. The ball appeared to miss the bat, and wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton collected it cleanly. There was no appeal from either the bowler or the wicketkeeper, and on-field umpire Vinod Seshan seemed ready to signal a wide.
However, in a surprising turn of events, Kishan began walking off the field, seemingly acknowledging an edge. Seeing this, the umpire changed his mind and raised his finger — despite no appeal and no review.
Replays told a different story. The UltraEdge showed no spike, no deviation, and clearly indicated that there was no contact between bat and ball.
According to MCC’s Law 31.7:
“An umpire shall intervene if satisfied that a batter, not having been given out, has left the wicket under a misapprehension of being out. The umpire intervening shall call and signal Dead ball… and shall recall the batter.”
This law is specifically designed for situations where a batter mistakenly believes they are out and walks off. The umpire has the authority to recall the batter — provided the next ball hasn’t been delivered and the innings isn’t over.
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In Kishan’s case, this intervention never came. The umpire did not call dead ball or recall the batter, even though the replays showed there was no edge and no dismissal had been actively appealed for.
The dismissal triggered a collapse for Sunrisers Hyderabad, who slipped to 13/4 in 4.1 overs. Although Heinrich Klaasen (71 off 44) and Abhinav Manohar (43 off 37) helped rebuild the innings to 143/8, the incident overshadowed much of the first innings.
Former players and fans voiced criticism, questioning why the umpire did not follow protocol and why Ishan chose to walk despite DRS being available.
Technically, yes — by the letter of the law, the umpire should have either proceeded with his wide call or, upon seeing the walk-off, intervened under Law 31.7 and recalled Kishan. The decision to declare him out, despite no appeal or evidence, was inconsistent with the rulebook.
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