India romped past Bangladesh in match 17 of the CWC 2023 edition on Thursday (Oct 19) at the MCA Stadium in Pune. Being asked to bowl first, Rohit Sharma & Co. rode on Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah’s two-fers each to restrict Bangladesh for 256 for 8 in their full quota of overs. In reply, India completed the run-chase in 41.3 overs with seven wickets in hand, courtesy of Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 103, KL Rahul’s run-a-ball 34*, Rohit’s 48 and Shubman Gill’s 53. With this win, India continue to keep their winning run intact and will now face table-toppers New Zealand on Sunday (Oct 22) in Dharamshala.

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Towards the end of the run-chase, Kohli was on the verge of slamming his 48th hundred. He needed another three runs but India were in search of two more to complete the match when spinner Nasum Ahmed bowled one down the leg side. While it seemed a wide, umpire Richard Kettleborough didn’t signal a wide. It was met with a rousing applause from the crowd as Kohli still had a chance to touch the three-figure mark. Here is the video of the delivery:

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Soon after, Kohli hit a six to not only help India attain their fourth win on the trot but also complete his hundred. After the match, many felt Kettleboruogh allowed the 34-year-old get to his hundred. However, here is what the ICC law states: 

It is to be noted that a change to Law 22.1 in 2022 outlined that a wide should be evaluated on the basis of the position of the batter, the location of the striker at any point since the bowler started their run-up, and whether the ball would have passed wide of the striker in a typical batting stance. Given Kohli had a wide-open stance to Nasum, this might have prompted Kettleborough to make a calculative judgment that the delivery could have connected with him had he not executed his characteristic lateral movement in the crease. Thus, the Englishman opted against calling the delivery a wide. 

After the Bangladesh win, India will now gear up to face New Zealand in Dharamshala on Sunday. Both sides are unbeaten so far with eight points each. NZ are at the top, followed by India, due to a superior Net Run Rate (NRR).

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