Explained: India Cheated Afghanistan To Win 3rd T20I? Was Rohit Sharma Wrongly Allowed To Bat Again In 2nd Super Over After Being 'Retired Out'?

After India beat Afghanistan in the 3rd T20I courtesy two Super Overs, a controversy erupted. In what was the longest T20I in the history, the Bengaluru tie went on and on as the scores were level at the end of 40 overs in the match and even the first Super Over got tied. The controversy that we are talking about happened in the 2nd Super Over when Rohit Sharma came out to bat again. 

Also Read | WATCH: 'Superman' Virat Kohli Saves Six Near Boundary Ropes With Timely Jump In 3rd T20I Vs Afghanistan, Fans Compare His Act With Jasprit Bumrah's Bowling Action

What is the matter?

When the India chase in the first Super Over started, Rohit was the batter facing the first ball and he smashed the first two deliveries for sixes. Three singles came off the next 3 balls and with 2 required off the last ball, we saw Rohit going back to the dressing room. This seemed like a tactical move as teams can 'retire out' a batter if needed during Super Over to allow a more fitting batter to replace him according to the situation. We still do not know whether Rohit was 'retired out' or 'retired hurt' in this instance. This is important to understand the controversy as many fans are saying that Afghanistan were cheated. 

Only 1 was scored off the last ball and the match went into another Super Over. Rohit came out to bat again in the 2nd Super Over which is the controversy here. As per the ICC's playing conditions for Men's T20Is, "[a]ny batsman dismissed in any previous Super Over shall be ineligible to bat in any subsequent Super Over."

Rohit Sharma retired out and sent Rinku Singh so he can run faster.

What a move. __ pic.twitter.com/p8hKBa0Lzf— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) January 17, 2024

If Rohit was 'retired out', it means he has been dismissed. 'Retiring out' means the batter himself is deciding to dismiss himself to bring in another batter on the field. If Rohit was 'retired out', he should not have been allowed to bat again in the 2nd Super Over. But he if was 'retired hurt', he could, as per the rules. 

I don't think Rohit Sharma should have been allowed to bat again in the Super Over. This is a grey area in the playing conditions which needs to be addressed.

The rule is: Any batter dismissed in any previous Super Over shall be ineligible to bat in any subsequent Super Over._ — Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) January 17, 2024

After the match, India head coach Rahul Dravid hinted that it was a tactical move to get retired out. Dravid said that Rohit did what R Ashwin had done once in IPL 2022. "Taking himself out was Ashwin-level thinking. That's Ash-level thinking," said Dravid.

If that is actually the case then Rohit was indeed wrongly allowed to bat again in 2nd Super Over. But the claim that India cheated Afghanistan has no ground. It was not a case of 'cheating' but instance of umpires unable to take the right decision in the middle. It could be to do with the grey area that 'retire out' is. It would be interesting to see whether umpires adjudged Rohit as 'retired out' or 'retired hurt'. Afghanistan head Jonathan Trott did not react aggressively to the development in the middle but he said that the rules were not communicated to him.

Trott also said that 2nd Super Over rarely takes place in international cricket and that thes rules will be tested when these instances happen. The Afghanistan head coach said that he wanted Azmatullah Omarzai to bowl the 2nd Super Over as well after he bowled the first one. But as per rules, the bowler who bowled the first Super Over is ineligible to bowl the second.