"Umpire paise le rahe hai"- Virender Sehwag's Surgical Strike on Ishan Kishan controversy

Former Indian batter Virender Sehwag slammed Ishan Kishan for his dismissal during the IPL 2025 match between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH and Mumbai Indians (MI). The former opener questioned Ishan Kishan’s decision to walk off the field without waiting for the umpire's call, describing it as a "brain fade."

Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya won the toss and chose to bowl first at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Wednesday, April 23. The decision paid off quickly as SRH suffered a top-order collapse. Travis Head was dismissed for a duck after facing only four balls in the second over.

Watch: Ishan Kishan Walks Off for 1 Despite No Spike on Snicko

On the first ball of the third over, Ishan Kishan attempted to glance a leg-side delivery from Deepak Chahar. However, the left-handed batter failed to connect cleanly. Notably, Kishan walked off the field immediately despite no appeal from the Mumbai Indians players.

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Wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton looked unsure, and Chahar and Hardik Pandya were focused on whether the ball would be called wide. Umpire Vinod Seshan initially signaled a wide but quickly changed his decision and raised his finger after noticing Kishan walking off.

Hardik gave Ishan a pat on the back and appreciated the sportsmanship. However, the decision quickly came under scrutiny as UltraEdge replays showed no contact with the bat or any part of Kishan’s body. Kishan was seen blaming himself in the dressing room.

Fairplay or facepalm? 🤯

Ishan Kishan walks... but UltraEdge says 'not out!' What just happened?!

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Umpire Bhi Paise Le Rahe Hai - Virender Sehwag

Speaking on Cricbuzz, Virender Sehwag criticized Ishan Kishan for leaving the field without waiting for the umpire’s decision. Sehwag sarcastically stated that the umpire is being paid to make decisions and should be allowed to do his job.

"Many times, the mind fails to work at that moment. It was brain fade. Ruk toh jaa. Umpire bhi paise le rahe hai (Stop at least and wait for the umpire to make his decision. He is also charging some amount of money for his job). Let him do his work," Sehwag said on Cricbuzz.

Ricky Ponting Used to Say That My Work Was to Bat - Virender Sehwag

Virender Sehwag said that had there been a genuine edge, it could be seen as sportsmanship. Sehwag recalled a quote from Ricky Ponting, who once said that a batter’s job is to play, while it’s the umpire’s responsibility to decide whether a player is out.

"I could not understand this honesty. Had it been an edge, it would have been understandable because that would be in the spirit of the game. But it was neither out; the umpire was unsure, and you started walking off all of a sudden. Then even the umpire is in a dilemma. Ricky Ponting used to say that my work was to bat, the umpire's work is to decide on the dismissal," Sehwag added.

After an impressive century in the season opener against the Rajasthan Royals (RR), Ishan Kishan has scored just 33 runs in his next seven innings at an average of 5.5. Overall, he has scored only 139 runs across eight innings.

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