Bengal captain Abhimanyu Easwaran was dismissed in one of the strangest ways seen in domestic cricket in recent times. The incident took place on January 22 at the Bengal Cricket Academy ground in Kalyani on the opening day of the Elite Group C match between Bengal and Services.
Abhimanyu Easwaran’s shocking run out in Ranji Trophy due to a simple misunderstanding
Abhimanyu Easwaran looked completely settled at the crease after scoring 81 runs from 152 balls and was clearly in control against Services. He was playing the role of a senior batsman very well, holding one end and calmly leading the Bengal innings.
But a small misunderstanding changed the whole situation. This incident happened on the last ball of the 41st over. Services fast bowler Aditya Kumar bowled a full length ball to Sudeep Chatterjee. Chatterjee played a simple straight shot and pushed the ball back towards the bowler.
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Aditya tried to stop the ball in his follow-through and managed to catch the ball with his fingers. Instead of stopping there, the ball slipped from his hand and slowly moved towards the non-striker’s end. At that moment, Easwaran felt that the over was over and the drinks break was called.
What a strange moment unfolded?
As the Bengal captain felt that play had stopped, he moved out of his crease and started moving away from his position. Abhimanyu Easwaran did not look back to see where the ball was, as he simply assumed that the ball was dead and play had stopped.
However, the ball was still “live” and hit the stumps at the non-striker’s end. Easwaran was clearly out of his crease when the stumps broke. Services players immediately appealed. The on-field umpires sent the decision to the third umpire.
The footage showed that Easwaran had already left his field before the ball hit the stumps. Since the ball was not declared dead, the dismissal was valid. The third umpire declared Easwaran run out on 81 and he had to return to the pavilion due to a simple lapse in awareness.
A bizarre run out in Ranji Trophy 2025-26
Against Services, Bengal captain Abhimanyu Easwaran (81) left the crease thinking the over was over and went out for a drink. The ball bounced off the bowler’s fingers and rolled back onto the stumps, resulting in a run out. pic.twitter.com/p7AIDmpPNk
– Nitish Kumar Mishra (@NeetishKrMishra) 22 January 2026
Totally my fault: Abhimanyu Easwaran on his bizarre dismissal
Meanwhile, after the end of the day’s play, Abhimanyu Easwaran took full responsibility for his bizarre run out and ignored any controversy. The Bengal captain admitted that the mistake was entirely his own and said that the mistake took even him by surprise.
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“The innings was going very well, but the mistake I made surprised even me. Some people might feel that in the spirit of the game the opposition could have called me back, but there is no question of that. It was completely my fault. I thought the bowler had collected the ball and moved forward instinctively,” Easwaran was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo after the end of the day.
Bengal coach breaks silence on Easwaran’s run out
Bengal coach Lakshmi Ratan Shukla also downplayed the incident and clarified that there was no similarity with the famous Ian Bell run-out of 2011, although India withdrew their appeal at Trent Bridge and they resumed their innings.
Shukla said, “They may look similar, but you can’t directly compare the two. It was a different era and different circumstances. It was just a mistake on the batsman’s part. It doesn’t mean he lacked awareness; he is a senior player, but cricket can be unpredictable. While the opposition could have considered recalling him, there is nothing wrong in their decision not to. Everything happened within the rules of the game.”