‘No Such Plan…,’ Najmul Hossain Shanto Addresses the Virat Kohli Wide Ball Controversy
Kohli was at his scintillating best. (AP)
Bangladesh's stand-in-captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has brushed aside any suggestion that spinner Nasum Ahmed deliberately bowled a wide ball to prevent Virat Kohli from achieving a century during their ICC World Cup 2023 encounter in Pune on October 19.
Riding high on confidence in the ongoing 2023 World Cup, Kohli reached an unbeaten 103, sealing the match with a six against spinner Nasum Ahmed.
As the match was nearly sealed, and Kohli neared the coveted century, he opted to retain most of the strike.
With just nine overs remaining and Kohli on the brink of his century, a wide ball incident became the focus. Nasum's delivery down the leg side appeared to many in the audience to be unquestionably outside the acceptable limit for a wide.
However, the on-field umpire, Richard Kettleborough, had a different perspective and chose not to signal it as a wide. This decision led to surprise and frustration among Indian fans and even Kohli himself. Kohli ultimately concluded the match with a six, securing his third World Cup century.
Before that, Hasan Mahmud had bowled a wide, and many believed that Bangladeshi players were intentionally attempting to prevent Kohli from reaching a century. However, Shanto, following Bangladesh's third consecutive loss, has come to Nasum's defense, emphasizing their commitment to a fair contest.
Shanto clarified, "No, no. There was no such plan. It was a normal plan. No bowler had the intention to bowl a wide ball. We tried to play a proper game. It was not intentional," during a press conference.
India successfully chased down the 257-run target in 41.3 overs, winning by seven wickets, thanks to Kohli's exceptional effort following a strong start by captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill.
Although Kohli's performance was impressive, it sparked mixed reactions from experts.
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