4 days ago
Batter Chops On At 98 But Bails Don't Fall, Bizarre Video Goes Viral
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UP Brij Stars batter Chirag Gandhi survived a clear chop on after umpires were left stunned by a bail refusing to fall off the stumps upon impact.
A dramatic clip from the Big Cricket League held last year has gone viral on social media, leaving fans perplexed and debating.
On December 15, the match played in Surat between UP Brij Stars and MP Tigers witnessed the barely-believable scene of Stars batter Chirag Gandhi surviving despite chopping on a delivery from left-arm spinner Pawan Negi onto his stumps. Gandhi was given not out after a clear chop since the bail on top of the off-stump didn't fall. What's more, Gandhi was batting at 98, just two runs short of a hundred.
The video shows how, just as the fielding side started their celebrations, watching the off-stump visibly leaning upon impact, Gandhi pointed out to the umpires that the bail hadn't fallen off and survived. The player couldn't believe his luck and carried a sheepish look. The moment stunned everyone involved, even leaving the umpires chuckling at Gandhi's great fortune.
I've never seen better luck than this in cricket. He was on 98* btw — Kusha Sharma (@Kushacritic) June 8, 2025
The famous clip sparked a debate over whether the umpires made a correct interpretation of the law before giving Gandhi not out, or if he was indeed extremely lucky to be given a reprieve.
According to MCC Law 29.1, 'the wicket is broken when at least one bail is completely removed from the top of the stumps, or one or more stumps are removed from the ground."
Upon a close look at Gandhi's chop, one can see that the bail may not have fallen completely from the top of the off-stump but was dislodged from its original position on the middle stump. The incident raises an ambiguity about the law that requires umpires to adjudicate incidents where the bails don't fall off one or two of the stumps.
Since the bail was marginally removed from the middle stump, shouldn't the umpires have given Gandhi out?
With a stroke of luck, Gandhi managed to reach the three-figure mark and ultimately finished with a valiant 101 off 58 deliveries, featuring 12 fours and 4 sixes. But even his excellent innings couldn't take the Stars home after they fell well short of the MP Tigers' massive total of 239. Gandhi's knock got overshadowed by fellow centurion Saket Sharma, who ensured the Yusuf Pathan-led Tigers dominated the game.
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