Sunil Gavaskar Accuses Gautam Gambhir of Cheating in India vs England 4th T20I

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Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar is known for his blunt opinions, and this time, he has raised concerns over India’s use of a concussion substitute in the fourth T20I against England. The match, played on January 31 in Pune, saw Shivam Dube being replaced by Harshit Rana after being hit on the helmet in the final over of India’s innings. Harshit, making his debut, picked up three wickets as India secured a 15-run win and sealed the series.

Sunil Gavaskar Questions India’s Move

Sunil Gavaskar was not convinced by India’s decision to bring in a concussion substitute. He argued that since Dube continued to bat till the end of the innings, he was not concussed. Writing in his column for The Telegraph, Gavaskar stated:

“Dube batted till the end, so it is clear he was not concussed. Allowing a substitute was not correct. If Dube was injured, a substitute could have been allowed, but that player should have only fielded.”

He further pointed out that Harshit Rana was not a like-for-like replacement for Dube.

“Dube and Rana are of the same height and have similar fielding abilities, but they are not the same type of player. This was not a like-for-like replacement. England have every right to feel unhappy. India is a strong team and should not be involved in such acts.”

ICC Match Referee Chris Broad Also Criticizes India

Gavaskar was not the only one who raised concerns. ICC match referee Chris Broad also questioned the decision and criticized the ICC’s handling of the situation. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Broad wrote:

“Independent match officials were brought in to stop situations like this! Why is the ICC returning to the ‘bad old days’ of bias and corruption?”

He further added, “How can an Indian match referee allow this replacement? Match officials should be independent to ensure fair play.”

Shivam Dube Played the Next Match

Interestingly, despite being substituted due to a concussion, Shivam Dube recovered quickly and played in the fifth and final T20I on February 2. This has added more weight to the controversy, with critics questioning whether India misused the concussion substitute rule.

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