Kishan's Bizarre Walk-Off Costs Hyderabad in Mumbai Defeat

Sunrisers Hyderabad's playoff aspirations in the Indian Premier League faced a setback on Wednesday. Adding to the disappointment was a peculiar dismissal involving their batter, Ishan Kishan, during their home defeat against the Mumbai Indians.

Following the early loss of Australian opener Travis Head, Kishan came to the crease. He managed to score a single run before being caught behind off the bowling of Deepak Chahar in the subsequent over.

The left-handed batsman attempted a leg glance against Chahar and began to walk off the field, despite no appeal from the bowler or wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton. The umpire, Vinod Seshan, initially appeared ready to signal a wide but then changed his decision to "out" as Kishan departed.

Mumbai's captain, Hardik Pandya, acknowledged Kishan's decision to walk off without waiting for the umpire's ruling. However, subsequent Ultra Edge replays revealed no evidence of contact between the bat and the ball. Hyderabad ultimately scored a below-par 143-8, which Mumbai chased down with ease, securing a seven-wicket victory with 4.2 overs to spare.

Former India opener Virender Sehwag commented on the incident, describing it as a "brain-fade moment" for Kishan. Sehwag questioned the decision, noting that walking off the field is understandable after edging the ball, but not when there's no contact and the umpire hasn't given a decision. He speculated about possible sounds Kishan might have heard, suggesting it could have been the glove strap or a creaking bat handle, and that only Kishan could explain the reason.

Mumbai's victory propelled them to third place in the standings. Meanwhile, the 2016 champions, Hyderabad, captained by Australia's Pat Cummins, now find themselves in ninth place in the ten-team league, having suffered six defeats in eight matches.