IPL 2026: Why Angkrish Raghuvanshi's concussion substitute move sparked debate
What's the story
The 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) witnessed another controversy, this time during Kolkata Knight Riders' match against Mumbai Indians at Eden Gardens. It all happened when KKR used a concussion substitute for Angkrish Raghuvanshi. However, the latter appeared to have suffered only a finger injury during the game. The incident happened in the 11th over of Mumbai Indians' innings. Here are further details.
Injury details
Raghuvanshi injures finger, KKR announce Ramandeep as concussion substitute
Raghuvanshi injured himself while attempting a full-length diving catch off Varun Chakravarthy's bowling in the match. He continued to keep wickets after the incident but went out in the 14th over for further treatment. Tejasvi Singh Dahiya took over wicketkeeping duties for the rest of the innings. However, things got confusing during the innings break when KKR announced on their official social media handles that Ramandeep Singh had replaced Raghuvanshi as a concussion substitute.
Rule clarification
What are IPL rules regarding concussion substitutes?
According to IPL playing conditions, teams can only use a concussion substitute if a player suffers a confirmed or suspected concussion linked to a head or neck injury. The replacement, approved by the match referee, is a "like-for-like" substitution so the teams don't gain an unfair tactical advantage. This is why KKR's substitution instantly raised eyebrows as Raghuvanshi appeared to injure only his finger while diving for the catch with no visible indication of any head/neck injury during the incident.