Nitin Menon came under scrutiny during the Asian Games 2026 men’s cricket bronze-medal match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin on Saturday, October 3. The Indian umpire gave Nuwanidu Fernando out caught behind despite the ball appearing to pass the bat without making contact.
Sri Lanka, led by Sahan Arachchige, were already under pressure after losing two early wickets when the controversial dismissal added to their problems. With no Decision Review System (DRS) available at the Asian Games, Fernando could not challenge the decision and had to walk back after scoring just one run.
Nitin Menon Gives Nuwanidu Fernando Out Despite Clear Gap Between Bat and Ball
Bangladesh spinner Aliss Al Islam bowled a delivery that turned away from Nuwanidu Fernando, who attempted to cut through the off side. Fernando missed the ball completely, but wicketkeeper Litton Das collected it and immediately appealed for a catch.
Nitin Menon raised his finger almost immediately, leaving Fernando visibly stunned at the crease. The batter looked towards the umpire in disbelief before eventually walking back to the pavilion. Replays showed a clear gap between the bat and ball, with no visible contact as the delivery passed the outside edge.
Fernando had no opportunity to review the decision. The Asian Games matches were played without DRS, leaving the on-field call as final even though television replays appeared to show that Fernando had not edged the delivery.
WHAT DID I JUST WATCH? 😭 https://t.co/fjXrmlaPQB
— Usman (@jamilmusman_) October 3, 2026
Tharindu Ratnayake’s 65 Helps Sri Lanka Recover and Win Bronze
Nuwanidu Fernando’s dismissal left Sri Lanka struggling at 29/4 by the end of the powerplay. Lasith Croospulle scored two, Sineth Jayawardena made three, and Sohan de Livera added six before Bangladesh’s bowling attack put Sri Lanka’s top order under serious pressure.
Tharindu Ratnayake then changed the momentum with an aggressive 65 off 32 balls. He joined captain Sahan Arachchige, who scored 33 off 37, and the pair put together a crucial 93-run partnership to revive the innings. Sri Lanka eventually posted 165/9 in 20 overs.
Bangladesh’s chase fell apart early as Saif Hassan, Tanzid Hasan and captain Litton Das were all dismissed without scoring. Parvez Hossain Emon made 20 and Yasir Ali scored 21, but Bangladesh could not build a substantial partnership. Nasum Ahmed top-scored with 26 before Bangladesh were bowled out for 102 in 17.3 overs.
Sri Lanka completed a 63-run victory to secure the bronze medal. Nuwan Thushara, Ratnayake, Wanuja Sahan, and Vijayakanth Viyaskanth took two wickets each, while Sahan Arachchige and Dushan Hemantha claimed one apiece as Sri Lanka completed a strong all-round performance.
Nitin Menon Has Previously Faced Criticism for On-Field Decision
The decision in Nisshin was not the first controversial call involving Nitin Menon. During an IPL 2025 match between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, he gave Dewald Brevis out leg before wicket off a Lungi Ngidi delivery while CSK were chasing 214.
Ngidi’s delivery was a low full toss, and Brevis was adjudged lbw by Menon. Replays subsequently indicated that the ball was missing the leg stump. The decision came at an important stage of the chase, with CSK needing 43 runs from the final four overs.
Nitin Menon, 42, is one of India’s most experienced umpires and was appointed to the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires in 2020. He has officiated in more than 200 matches, including 141 as an on-field umpire. He also chose not to officiate in the 2025 Champions Trophy when the tournament was scheduled to be held in Pakistan.
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