Avesh Khan's Boundary-Line Act On Rishabh Pant's Winning Run vs SRH Leads To Calls Of 'Dead Ball' From Internet, Umpire Says This
Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant led his team to a confidence-boosting win against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday
Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant led his team to a confidence-boosting win against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday. Pant scored 68* off 50 balls as LSG chased down a 157-run target in 19.5 overs. The winning run was scored by Pant as he hit Jaydev Unadkat for a boundary. Interestingly, before the ball could reach the boundary, LSG bowler Avesh Khan, in a moment of celebration, hit the ball back into the ground.
No fielder was nearby, and Avesh's action did not obstruct any fielder. However, a section of social media wondered whether SRH should have been awarded five penalty runs. Even Avesh's teammate Arshin Kulkarni was not amused. Some also mentioned Law 20.1 (Dead Ball) and Law 41 (Unfair Play). The laws on unfair play do not apply in this case, as no SRH fielder was in the vicinity and the ball would have certainly crossed the boundary.
A report on Cricbuzz stated, "An umpire familiar with the situation said there was no case for overturning the boundary in this instance."
Why Avesh Khan Is So Annoying First he smashed his helmet, then hit the ball with his bat even though it hadn't reached the boundary the umpire should ban him for one match Or Umpire Should Do That Delivery Dead Ball
— ValenceCricket (@CricketValence) April 5, 2026
pic.twitter.com/3xl2WxJlgh
Rishabh Pant hit the winning run for LSG and the ball went towards the dugout, but Avesh being Avesh, knocked it back into the ground before it could even reach the boundary
— Rupesh Kumar (@drona_17) April 6, 2026
What if we get penalized for 5 runs , Lord Avesh plz don't do this again
Still reminds me of his… pic.twitter.com/NBRTV5aN33
Avesh Khan should be given warning or fined for this, SRH should have appealed for this act as the ball never crossed the boundary.#IPL pic.twitter.com/sUOfBg787Z
— Gaurav Gulati (@gulatiLFC) April 6, 2026
Can someone explain this ?? Why is there no penalty for this act by Avesh Khan ? pic.twitter.com/hhIY24Vq21
— స్థితప్రజ్ఞుడు (@hellochaitu) April 5, 2026
Meanwhile, LSG pacer Mohammed Shami expressed delight and revealed why he relied on slower balls after winning the Player of the Match (POTM) award for his contributions to his team's five-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 match on Sunday in Hyderabad.
Shami claimed excellent figures of 2/9 in four overs against SRH and helped LSG trigger a top-order collapse. While SRH later scored 156/9, it eventually proved under par as LSG won the match by five wickets. Notably, Shami bowled 18 dot balls in his four-over spell.
Shami won the POTM award for his contributions and said he decided to use slower balls this season, inspired by observing opponents and recalling their frequent use of the delivery last year.
"Last year I was here, and a lot of slower balls were bowled. That was in my mind. The bowlers and the opponents bowled a lot of slower balls, so I thought, why not try it too?" Shami said at the post-match presentation.
India Cricket Team
Lucknow Super Giants
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Rishabh Pant