Jos Buttler Slams India's Decision To Bring Harshit Rana For Shivam Dube, Says ' Not Like-For-Like Concussion Sub'

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Jos Buttler has expressed his discontent with India's decision to field Harshit Rana as a concussion substitute for Shivam Dube during the fourth T20I held at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on January 31.

Dube sustained a head injury after being hit on the helmet by Jamie Overton in the final over of India's innings. Subsequently, Harshit Rana was brought in to replace him for the second half of the match.

Rana, making his T20I debut for India, had an impressive outing, claiming three wickets for 33 runs in his allotted four overs. His performance played a pivotal role in India's 15-run victory over England. However, this substitution did not sit well with the England captain, who voiced his concerns during the post-match press conference.

Buttler argued that Harshit is not actually a like-for-like replacement for Shivam Dube, who is actually an all-rounder. "It's not a like-for-like replacement. We don't agree with that. Either Shivam Dube has put on about 25 mph with the ball or Harshit's really improved his batting. It's part of the game, and we really should have gone on to win the match, but we disagree with the decision," he stated at the post-match press conference.

The ICC's Men's T20I playing conditions, specifically Rule 1.2.7, govern concussion substitutes. This rule stipulates that a concussion replacement should be a like-for-like player, and the substitution should not provide an excessive advantage to the team. The ICC Match Referee is responsible for evaluating the request based on the concussed player's likely role and the substitute's normal role.

Sub-sections 1.2.7.4 and 1.2.7.5 further clarify that if the Match Referee believes the substitute offers an undue advantage, conditions can be imposed to maintain fairness. Despite these guidelines, the decision to allow Rana as a substitute has sparked debate among fans, former cricketers, and cricket experts, raising questions about the interpretation and application of the concussion substitute rule.

Speaking of the match, India batting first scored 181 runs and in reply, England fell short by 15 runs as the visitors were bowled out for 166 runs. With this win, the Men in Blue have clinched the series 3-1, with a game in hand.