IND vs PAK final: Here's why Surya's sportsman spirit is in question again

The drama between India and Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 is far from over as the two teams face each other in the final in Dubai. The Indian skipper, Suryakumar Yadav, who has already been fined 30 percent of his match fees for his post-match comments after the match against Pakistan in the group stage, was once again at the centre of yet another controversy.

 

On the first ball of the 16th over off Axar Patel, Pakistan skipper Salman Agha played a shot towards the mid-off region and ran for two. Surya, after an initial fumble, picked the ball and threw it towards the striker’s end, and the ball hit Salman’s bat on the way. Surya then walked up to the umpire and appealed for obstructing the field, which was eventually turned down by the third umpire.

 

 

However, Surya’s appeal was not taken lightly by former Pakistani pacer Wasim Akram. In commentary, he called out the referral, asking where the sportsman spirit of the game was and even termed Surya’s appeal a very bad call. 

What is the ‘obstructing the field’ rule in cricket

Obstructing the field is among the ten recognised ways a batter can be dismissed in cricket. As outlined in Law 37 of the game’s rules, a player can be ruled out if either batter deliberately tries to block or distract the fielding side through words or actions. This mode of dismissal is rare, with only two cases recorded in Test cricket, nine in ODIs, and six in T20Is. Previously, “handled the ball” was considered a separate dismissal but has since been merged under this law. In modern limited-overs matches, obstruction is often seen when a batter, fearing a run-out, either uses the bat to stop the ball or alters their running path to interfere—actions deemed deliberate.

When Inzamam-ul-Haq was given out for obstructing the field vs India

Obstructing the field dismissal is not a new thing in the India vs Pakistan rivalry. In the opening ODI of India’s 2006 tour of Pakistan in Peshawar, Inzamam-ul-Haq became the centre of a rare and controversial dismissal. After tapping a delivery from S Sreesanth towards mid-off, he looked for a quick run but was turned back by Younis Khan. Spotting him stranded, Suresh Raina fired a throw at the stumps. Still short of his crease, Inzamam instinctively blocked the ball with his bat, almost like playing a shot. The Indian side appealed, and the umpires upheld it as “obstructing the field,” making Inzamam one of the very few players in cricket history to be dismissed in that manner. The episode remains one of the most talked-about moments of his career.