Ruturaj Gaikwad calls out ‘pathetic’ umpiring in Ranji Trophy 2024-25

India and Maharashtra batting Ruturaj Gaikwad expressed his disappointment with the poor quality umpiring in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy. It is noteworthy that Gaikwad is currently in Australia playing for India A in his second unofficial Test against Australia A. However, the Maharashtra skipper has been keeping a close eye on his team’s actions in the Ranji Trophy and pointed out the umpire’s controversial call.

Gaikwad shared a clip of current Maharashtra skipper Aniket Bawne’s dismissal on Day 2 of the match against Services on his Instagram story. Bawne was dismissed despite the ball bouncing in front of fielder Amit Shukla at second slip. In the replays it was clear that the ball bounced before falling into the fielder’s hands.

However, the umpires took Bawne out, which led to the Maharashtra skipper having a long argument with the umpires before returning to the pavilion. Gaikwad also expressed his disappointment, calling the decision pathetic.

“How can this be given in a live match? It’s a shame to even object to this capture! Absolutely Pathetic,” Gaikwad wrote on his Instagram story.

Gaikwad’s poor performance against Australia A

Meanwhile, Gaikwad did not perform well in the unofficial Tests against Australia A He recorded scores of 0 and 5 in two innings in the first game. He was also dismissed for 11 and 4 in the second Test. Therefore, the right-handed batsman did not have a memorable time throughout the entire series.

Gaikwad left for Australia with good performances in two Ranji Trophy matches against Jammu and Kashmir and Mumbai respectively. Against Mumbai, he redeemed himself after being dismissed for a duck in the first innings and batted a magnificent 145 (171) in the second innings with the help of 16 fours and two sixes.

Earlier, he had scored a magnificent score of 86 (130) against Jammu & Kashmir in the first round match of the tournament. After their performance, Gaikwad captained the India A team but failed to lead from the front.