In a truly astonishing turn of events, the cricket world bore witness to an extraordinary occurrence during the World Cup 2023 match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. Angelo Mathews, the Sri Lankan all-rounder, etched his name cricket history by becoming the first player to be timed out in international cricket during a World Cup match. This unexpected incident left cricket fans and experts alike dumbfounded.
The incident unfolded as Mathews, with great anticipation, walked out to bat for his team. However, cricket, like life, often throws unexpected challenges. Mathews’ helmet strap unexpectedly broke, forcing him to halt his entry into the crease. A broken helmet strap might seem like a minor issue in the grand scheme of a cricket match, but what followed was nothing short of sensational.
While Mathews awaited a replacement helmet, the Bangladeshi captain, Shakib Al Hasan, seized the moment and made a daring appeal. He claimed that Mathews was taking an undue amount of time to prepare himself, possibly to break the rhythm of the game. The appeal was made to the on-field umpire, and much to everyone’s surprise, Mathews was deemed out.
Once Shakib decided to uphold his unusual appeal, the umpires were left in a perplexing situation. According to the cricketing laws, they had little choice but to declare Mathews out. The timed-out decision marked an unprecedented event in the history of international cricket, adding a new dimension to the game’s intricacies.
The incident not only sent shockwaves through the cricketing community but also gave rise to a fair share of banter. The IPL franchise, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), known for their witty social media presence, didn’t let the opportunity slip by. It’s worth noting that a similar situation arose during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 game between India and Pakistan in Ahmedabad.
RCB Trolls Muhammad Rizwan After Angelo Mathews’ Timed Out Dismissal
In that match, Mohammad Rizwan, a Pakistani cricketer, was taking an unusually long time to get ready and take his place on the field. In a cheeky gesture, Virat Kohli, made an imaginary wristwatch-tapping gesture, humorously suggesting that Rizwan was taking too much time. Despite this, India did not pursue a timed-out appeal.
RCB seized this moment to post an image of Virat Kohli doing the wristwatch-tapping gesture, captioning it as “Angelo Mathews – First-ever cricketer to be given ‘TIMED OUT.'” The cricketing world was left amused and bewildered by the chain of events, and social media was abuzz with reactions and memes.
