Gavaskar exclaimed with surprise over Kohli's move to stop the throw

Kohli stopped a direct throw made by the Pakistani fielder on the last ball of the 21st over

The Indian cricket team are cruising at the moment against Pakistan in Dubai in their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Group A match. India are chasing a target of 242 runs set by their arch??'rivals, and their star batter Virat Kohli is still in the middle, leading the chase once again. However, a strange incident took place during the last ball of the 21st over of the match, when Kohli, while trying to take a quick single, stopped the throw made by a Pakistani fielder. He quickly realised his mistake and apologised for it. But former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar was left confused by Kohli's action and said that if Pakistan had appealed against Kohli, he would now be walking towards the pavilion.  Also Read: BAN vs NZ live streaming  | BAN vs NZ Live Score | Bangladesh vs New Zealand scorecard

 

What does the law say?

 

Under cricket law 37.3 in the MCC rulebook for cricket, a batter is considered out for obstructing the field if they willfully obstruct or distract the fielding side while the ball is in play, either through words or actions. This includes instances where the striker deliberately strikes the ball with a hand not holding the bat while receiving a delivery. The rule applies regardless of whether the ball is declared a no??'ball. However, a batter is not out if the obstruction is accidental, made to avoid injury, or occurs while lawfully defending the wicket. 

 

If a batter deliberately prevents a fielder from completing a catch, they will be given out, provided the ball was not a no??'ball. Even when defending their wicket lawfully, if the striker obstructs a catch, they can still be dismissed. If an obstruction occurs on a no??'ball, only the batter responsible will be out, unless the striker was making a lawful second strike to protect the wicket. Additionally, if a batter returns the ball to a fielder without their consent while it is still in play, they will be given out under this law.

 

Regarding runs scored, if the obstruction does not prevent a catch, all runs completed before the dismissal will be counted along with any penalty runs. However, if the obstruction prevents a catch, no runs will be awarded except for penalty runs. Finally, the bowler does not receive credit for the wicket when a batter is dismissed under this law.