Abhimanyu Easwaran punished for thirst, suffers cricket’s most shocking dismissal in Ranji Trophy

Bengal captain Abhimanyu Easwaran was dismissed in one of the strangest ways seen in domestic cricket in recent times. The incident happened on the opening day of the Elite Group C match between Bengal and Services at the Bengal Cricket Academy ground in Kalyani on January 22.

Simple misunderstanding leads to Abhimanyu Easwaran's shocking run-out in the Ranji Trophy

Abhimanyu Easwaran looked completely settled at the crease, having scored 81 runs from 152 balls, and was clearly in control against the Services. He was playing the role of a senior batter perfectly, holding one end together and guiding Bengal’s innings calmly.

But one small misunderstanding changed the entire situation. The incident took place on the last ball of the 41st over. Services fast bowler Aditya Kumar bowled a full-length delivery to Sudip Chatterjee. Chatterjee played a simple straight shot and pushed the ball back toward the bowler.

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Aditya tried to stop the ball in his follow-through and managed to get his fingertips on it. Instead of stopping there, the ball deflected off his hand and slowly moved toward the non-striker’s end. At the same time, Easwaran believed the over was finished and that the drinks break had been called.

How bizarre a moment unfolded?

Since the Bengal captain thought the play had stopped, he stepped out of his crease and began walking away from his position. Abhimanyu Easwaran did not look back to check where the ball was, as he simply assumed the ball was dead and play had paused.

However, the ball was still “live” and hit the stumps at the non-striker’s end. Easwaran was clearly outside his crease when the stumps were broken. The Services players immediately appealed. The on-field umpires sent the decision to the third umpire.

The footage showed that Easwaran had already walked out of his ground before the ball hit the stumps. Since the ball had not been declared dead, the dismissal was legal. The third umpire ruled Easwaran run out for 81, and he had to walk back to the pavilion due to a simple lapse in awareness.

🚨 A Bizarre Run Out in Ranji Trophy 2025-26 🚨

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My fault completely: Abhimanyu Easwaran on his bizarre dismissal

Meanwhile, Abhimanyu Easwaran took full responsibility for his bizarre run-out after the end of the day’s play and played down any controversy. The Bengal captain admitted that the error was completely his own and said the mistake caught even him by surprise.

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Easwaran said after the end of the day, as quoted by ESPNCricinfo, “The innings was going very well, but the mistake I made surprised even me. Some might feel the opposition could've called me back in the spirit of the game, but there was no question of that. It was entirely my fault. I thought the bowler had collected the ball and instinctively moved forward.”

Bengal coach breaks silence on Easwaran run-out

Bengal coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla also played down the incident and made it clear that there was no similarity with the famous Ian Bell run-out from 2011, though India had withdrawn their appeal at Trent Bridge, and he resumed his innings.

Shukla said, “They may look similar, but you cannot compare the two directly. That was a different era and different circumstances. This was simply a mistake on the batter's part. It doesn't mean he lacks awareness; he is a senior player, but cricket can be unpredictable. While the opposition could have considered calling him back, there is nothing wrong with their decision not to. Everything happened within the laws of the game.”