The incident occurred on the final ball of the 15th over in the second innings when Kami tried to smash a wide-of-the-off-stump half tracker by Bipin Khatri but only managed to under-edge it and the ball bounced at the crease. In visible frustration, Kami hit the ball again in his backswing.

The Pokhara Avengers keeper and the bowler appealed to the umpire, and the decision was referred to the TV umpire Masudur Rahman, who adjudged Kami out.

What's the rule for ‘obstructing the field’?

According to Law 37.1.1, "Either batter is out Obstructing the field if, except in the circumstances of 37.2, and while the ball is in play, that batter wilfully attempts to obstruct or distract the fielding side by word or action."

However, Law 37.2 says "A batter shall not be out Obstructing the field if obstruction or distraction is accidental, or obstruction is in order to avoid injury, or the striker, makes a second or subsequent strike to guard their wicket lawfully as in Law 34.3 (Ball lawfully struck more than once)."

Now, Kami was given out obstructing the field, but there's ambiguity in how the third umpire interpreted the batter’s action. Looking at the video closely, one cannot tell for certain if Kami was not trying to avoid the ball from hitting the stumps – that is 'guarding his wicket'.

Law 34.3 clearly states that “the striker may, solely in order to guard their wicket and before the ball has been touched by a fielder, lawfully strike the ball a second or subsequent time with the bat, or with any part of their person other than a hand not holding the bat.”

The umpire, however, thought it was a deliberate act of obstruction, and gave the decision against the batter. When Kami was dismissed, Karnali Yaks needed 88 runs more to win in five overs, which they couldn't reach with their frontline batters back in the hut.

A similar dismissal came in an international match between Malta and Romania in the Continental Cup in 2023, when Fanyan Mughal was given out ‘hitting the ball twice’, and remains the only player to be given out that way in T20 cricket.

Image: Nepal Premier League

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