Why was Ravindra Jadeja given out in CSK vs RR? What does the law on 'obstructing the field' dismissal say?

Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja on Saturday incurred a rare form of dismissal during the IPL 2024 match against Rajasthan Royals at the MA Chidambaram Stadium as he was deemed out by the third umpire for ‘obstructing the field’. Although the dismissal did not have any impact on CSK's chase of 142 on the sluggish wicket as the home team comfortably wrapped up the match with 10 balls to spare and kept their playoff hopes alive, Jadeja was certainly left disgruntled.

How was Ravindra Jadeja dismissed in the CSK vs RR match?

Chasing the tricky total, Jadeja struggled to score five runs off the first six balls he faced before dabbing a shorter delivery from Avesh Khan down to the third man. The left-hander, keen on taking a quick double, sprinted for the second run to get back on strike, but captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, who single-handedly kept CSK's chase alive with his patient 35-ball 33, turned him down. However, it was all too late for Jadeja, who was halfway down the pitch. Meanwhile, the third man hurled the throw to wicketkeeper Sanju Samson, who in turn attempted to run out the CSK batter, but the latter got in the way of the throw.

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Samson immediately appealed as the on-field umpires called for a review. TV umpire Anil Chaudhary reckoned that Jadeja was watching the ball and was aware of where it was heading and hence changed the direction of his running. The giant screen display reflected the verdict as out, leaving Jadeja miffed for being dismissed for obstructing the field.

What is obstructing the field?

It refers to a situation where a batter intentionally blocks the fielding team's attempt to field the ball while in play without their consent. This could happen in various ways, such as physically obstructing a fielder, changing the ball's direction, or blocking a potential run-out by preventing a fielder's throw from hitting the stumps, which is what happened in Jadeja's case.

However, the key factor in this form of dismissal is the intent of the batter. In the 2019 World Cup final between England and New Zealand, when a throw from deep-midwicket was on its way to rattle against the stump at the striker's end, the ball hit the diving Ben Stokes' bat and headed for a boundary. However, the England batter was not deemed out, as it was an unintentional act.

What is 'obstructing the field' dismissal?

As per Law 37.1 of the MCC, “either batter is out obstructing the field if and while the ball is in play, he/she wilfully attempts to obstruct or distract the fielding side by word or action.”

The law further states that the rule even applies on a no ball. In case of legal delivery, the striker is deemed out by the umpire if either of the players in action from the batting team intentionally obstructs the ball. However, in case of a no ball, the batter who caused the obstruction will be out obstructing the field.

A batter is also deemed out under this law (37.4) "if, at any time while the ball is in play and, without the consent of a fielder, he/she uses the bat or any part of his/her person to return the ball to any fielder."