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Real reason behind Wadhera's catch being ruled not out vs PAK A in the Asia Cup Rising Stars

Kaushik Kashyap

Nehal Wadhera's catch vs Pak A. [Source - @sonyliv/x.com]Nehal Wadhera's catch vs Pak A. [Source - @sonyliv/x.com]

In a dramatic turn of events, India A were left stunned during their Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 clash against Pakistan A in Doha on Sunday after a brilliant relay catch was unexpectedly overturned. The decision left the Indian players visibly frustrated and added to the controversy in a match they eventually went on to lose by eight wickets.

Controversial relay catch's decision leaves India A confused

The incident occurred in the 10th over when Pakistan batter Maaz Sadaqat mishit a delivery from Suyash Sharma towards boundary. Nehal Wadhera, fielding at deep mid-wicket, pulled off a superb bit of fielding, jumping near the rope, stopping a certain six, and flicking the ball to Naman Dhir, who completed what looked like a clean relay catch.

The Indian players celebrated immediately, convinced they had pulled off a stunning dismissal. But the celebrations did not last long as third umpire Morshed Ali Khan reviewed the footage and declared the batter not out, leaving the Indian players visibly shocked.

Captain Jitesh Sharma and a few teammates immediately approached the umpires, demanding an explanation. On the sidelines, the fourth umpire was also seen discussing the call with the Indian coaching staff during what happened to be a brief stoppage.

Adding to the confusion, the delivery was not counted as a six either. Instead, it was simply recorded as a dot ball, further surprising the viewers and players. Many felt Nehal had clearly released the ball before stepping beyond the boundary rope, as the TV replays showed, but the final decision went completely the opposite way.

New ICC rule behind the overturned decision

So, the surprising decision was a result of a new ICC rule that was introduced recently in June 2025, which updated Law 19.5.2 about boundary catches. The revised law says that if a fielder jumps from outside the boundary to touch the ball while airborne, he must land entirely inside the field before the ball becomes dead.

Therefore, if we see Nehal Wadhera’s effort, although he released the ball before touching the rope, his landing position was outside the boundary. This meant the catch could not be considered legal, even though the ball never crossed the rope.

The ICC later clarified that a fielder must “land and remain wholly within the boundary,” even if the catch is finished by another fielder. The overturned call only added to India A’s troubles, especially with the opposition already cruising comfortably towards victory.