In the third and final ODI of the series against Sri Lanka on Wednesday, August 7, at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, India wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant missed a straightforward stumping opportunity. The incident occurred on the last ball of the 49th over when Maheesh Theekshana advanced down the pitch to face Kuldeep Yadav.
Theekshana failed to connect with the ball, which went directly into Pant’s gloves. Pant took a moment to remove the bails, allowing Theekshana to get back to the crease. The third umpire reviewed the replays closely before making a decision. The footage showed that Theekshana had grounded his bat inside the crease before Pant had dislodged the bails. Despite Theekshana lifting his bat slightly after landing, the rules state that a batter is considered to be inside the crease once the bat has initially touched down.
There was additional confusion when third umpire Paul Reiffel initially ruled Theekshana out before overturning his decision. As a result, Theekshana survived the missed stumping chance.