During the IPL 2025 season, Indian wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan, currently playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad, engaged in a playful banter at the expense of Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan. The incident, which unfolded in a conversation with former international umpire Anil Chaudhary, was captured in a video clip shared on Chaudhary’s official Instagram account.
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Last year, Chaudhary had criticized Rizwan for his excessive appealing, likening his jumping to that of a pigeon and cautioning other umpires about his behavior. In the recent video, Chaudhary asked Kishan about the noticeable reduction in his own appealing frequency compared to his earlier days.
Kishan, who recently celebrated a century on debut for Sunrisers Hyderabad, responded with humor, stating, “Mujhe lagta hai umpire log smart ho gaye hain. Har baar karenge (appeal) toh phir unn log out ko bhi not out de denge.” He further added, “Isse achha ek baar karo, jab hai tab call karo, aap log ko bhi confidence rahega ki sahi time pe hi call karta hai ‘keeper… Warna abhi (Mohammad) Rizwan type kuch karunga toh phir aap log ek bhi baar (out) nahi denge.“
The conversation then shifted to the evolution of umpiring over the past decade. Kishan expressed his views, saying, “To be very honest, there are certain umpires even we are happy to see them officiating. But there is always a room for improvement. I feel that the new umpires coming who are coming in should be more confident while making decisions maybe. They should not overthink and if they believe it’s out, they should take the call and not get influenced by the appeals…”
This light-hearted exchange not only highlighted Kishan’s perspective on appealing but also sparked a broader discussion on the dynamics between players and umpires in modern cricket.