Was India A’s relay catch truly illegal vs Pakistan Shaheens? The new rule that sparked controversy

Nehal Wadhera's catch was deemed illegal

Controversies just cannot stay away from an India vs Pakistan clash, no matter at what stage it is. The latest chapter came during the Asia Cup Rising Stars fixture on November 17, 2025, where Pakistan Shaheens blew away India A with a thumping eight-wicket win. Maaz Sadaqat shone as the Player of the Match for his all-round performance, guiding the Shaheens as they chased down the 137-run target with 40 balls to spare.

However, while the Shaheens were cruising, a controversial moment created confusion among fans and left India A visibly frustrated. The incident took place on the first ball of the 10th over. Suyash Sharma bowled, and Sadaqat whipped it away towards deep mid-wicket. Nehal Wadhera sprinted to his right, grabbed the ball, but sensed he would cross the boundary line. In a desperate attempt, he flicked the ball towards a close-in fielder, Naman Dhir, who completed the relay catch cleanly. On first look, it appeared a brilliant, legal dismissal. India A players looked relieved, expecting the third umpire to merely confirm whether Nehal had touched the boundary rope.

Several replays showed that there was no contact with the rope. Yet, when the final decision flashed on the big screen, it read “not out”. The Indian players were stunned, and captain Jitesh Sharma was seen in an animated conversation with the umpires, trying to understand the logic behind the call. Sadaqat was waiting outside the boundary ropes as the new batter had already stepped in. But as soon as the ‘not out’ decision came up, Sadaqat was called back by the match officials.

The decision stemmed from the recent changes in the ‘relay catches’ rule introduced by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), which were integrated into ICC’s playing conditions in June 2025. Earlier, such catches were considered legal. But under the new rule, a fielder cannot complete a boundary relay catch unless they have landed and remained inside the field of play after their initial touch of the ball. Simply, both the initial and final fielders must be within the boundary at the moment the catch is completed.

In this case, when Naman completed the catch, Nehal was still outside the boundary. As a result, the batter was declared not out. Surprisingly, the umpires also deemed it a dead ball. As per the rule, the correct decision should have been six runs, but Pakistan Shaheens did not raise the issue.

ICC had already circulated an MCC note explaining the rule changes, which states: "MCC has devised a new wording where the 'bunny hop' wholly beyond the boundary is removed, but these catches where the fielder pushes the ball up from inside the boundary, steps outside and then dives back in to catch the ball, are permitted."

"Our solution has been to limit any fielder who has gone outside the boundary to touching the ball while airborne only once, and then, having done so, to be wholly grounded within the boundary for the rest of the duration of that delivery."

"Even if the ball is parried - to another fielder or inside the field of play - if the fielder lands outside the boundary, or subsequently steps outside, then a boundary will be scored. For clarity, that means the fielder gets one chance, and one chance only, to touch the ball having jumped from outside the boundary. After that point, the boundary becomes a hard line - and any time they touch the ground in that delivery, whatever else happens, they must be inside."

Despite the controversy, Pakistan Shaheens comfortably sealed their place in the semi-final. India A must now beat Oman on November 18 to join them as the second qualifier from Group B.