Cricket

Rohit Sharma, the Indian cricket team captain, has recently gained attention for his candid conversations caught on stump microphones during matches. One such incident occurred during the third T20I against Afghanistan in January, where Rohit's frustration over a controversial umpiring decision was captured on mic.Rohit was dismissed for ducks in the first two matches of the series. In the third match, he guided a delivery down the leg side on the second ball, expecting to open his account. However, the umpire ruled it as leg-byes, leaving Rohit stranded on 0."Viru, did you give the first ball as thigh pad? It clearly touched the bat. I already have two zeroes in the series," Rohit was heard saying to umpire Virender Sharma.In a recent event ahead of the fifth Test against England, Rohit explained his reaction, stating that it stemmed from the frustration of being dismissed for two consecutive ducks."When you're coming off two zeros, we know how important scoring the first run is. I scored a four off the bat, but the umpire probably didn't notice it and signaled them as leg byes," Rohit said.Rohit emphasized that he doesn't intentionally engage in such conversations but rather communicates with fielders to assess DRS and manage the team's strategy."I stand in the slips because the angle from there helps me get a better look at the fielders and take stock of DRS. So I keep talking to the fielders, and it gets recorded," he explained.Rohit's stump-mic conversations have become a source of entertainment for fans, providing a glimpse into the on-field dynamics and the captain's thought process. However, he maintains that his focus remains on the game and that these conversations are simply a byproduct of his role as a leader.

Sri Lanka's T20I captain Wanindu Hasaranga has launched a scathing attack on umpire Lyndon Hannibal, accusing him of being unfit for international cricket after a controversial no-ball call in the third T20I against Afghanistan.The incident occurred during a tense final over, with Sri Lanka needing 11 runs off the last three balls. Wafadar Momand delivered a high full toss that passed well above the waist of batter Kamindu Mendis without pitching. Despite Mendis' appeals and a request for a review, square-leg umpire Hannibal deemed the delivery legal, leaving Sri Lanka needing 11 off the last two balls.Hasaranga, who did not name Hannibal directly, expressed his outrage at the decision, stating that such incidents should not occur in international matches. He emphasized that the delivery was clearly above waist height and would have hit the batsman's head if it had gone slightly higher."That kind of thing shouldn't happen in an international match," Hasaranga said. "If it had been close [to waist height], that's not a problem. But a ball that's going so high… it would have hit the batsman's head if it had gone a little higher.""If you can't see that, that umpire isn't suited to international cricket. It would be much better if he did another job."Hasaranga also criticized the ICC's playing conditions, which do not allow player reviews for umpire decisions that do not involve potential dismissals. He argued that the third umpire should be able to review no-balls, regardless of whether a dismissal is at stake."There was a situation where you could review those calls before, but the ICC has got rid of that," Hasaranga said. "Our batsmen tried to review that. If the third umpire is able to check the front-foot no-ball, he should check this kind of no-ball as well. There's no reason why they can't. They didn't do even that, so I'm not sure what was going on in his (the square-leg umpire's) mind at the time."Sri Lanka went on to lose the match by three runs, handing Afghanistan their only victory of the tour. Despite the loss, Sri Lanka won the series 2-1.