Bhutan’s Ritshi Choden becomes first women cricketer to be timed out

Bhutan’s Ritshi Choden became the first batter to be timed out in women’s international cricket. Choden took over 90 seconds to arrive at the crease in a T20I against Nepal, with the fielders’ appeal upheld by umpires Sun Meng Yao and Ankita Guha. However, Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) apologised for the decision, saying while the dismissal was within the laws, it did not reflect the “spirit of the game”.

The incident took place in the first ball of the chase in the ACC’s Premier Cup in Mantin, Malaysia. Opener Ngawang Choden was out for a golden duck and Choden, the next batter in, was likely not ready. Choden jogged in with gloves and helmet in her hand and had a chat with the square-leg umpire.

Meanwhile, the fielders converged and raised their arms when Choden arrived at the crease. Nepal batter Puja Mahato ran across for a word with the umpire and initiated celebrations, following which the umpire informed Choden that she was out, following which she walked back without protest. It left Bhutan 0 for 2 after one ball.

After the game, CAN apologised to “Bhutan cricket, the player involved and all relevant stakeholders” in a press release as the incident was not in line with “the spirit of cricket it strives to uphold”.

“The incident involving the timed-out dismissal of a Bhutanese batter during today’s match does not reflect the values and spirit of cricket that the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) strives to uphold,” CAN said. “On behalf of the Cricket Association of Nepal, we extend our sincere apologies for the actions of our Women’s National Team in this matter. While the dismissal was effected within the Laws of Cricket, we recognize that the spirit of the game extends beyond the written laws and must remain central to our conduct at all times.

“As a developing cricketing nation, we place the utmost importance on sportsmanship, mutual respect, and fair play. We acknowledge that this incident has fallen short of those standards and regret any disappointment it may have caused. We convey our sincere apologies to Bhutan Cricket, the player concerned, and all relevant stakeholders. CAN remains firmly committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and the spirit of cricket, both on and off the field.”

Bhutan’s chase never took off and they fell short of the 114-run chase by 51 runs. The win put Nepal on top of Group D in the points table with two wins in as many games while Bhutan sit third with no wins in their two games.

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