Bhutan’s Ritshi Choden becomes first batter to be ‘Timed Out’ in Women’s T20Is

After Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews became the first batter in all of international cricket to be ‘timed out’ during the 2023 World Cup clash against Bangladesh, Bhutan batter Ritshi Choden became the first women’s cricketer to be dismissed similarly. Choden took more than 90 seconds to arrive at the crease during a T20I against Nepal, with the fielder’s appeal upheld by the on-field umpires. Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN), however, apologised for the decision, saying that despite this falling within the rule books, it does not reflect the ‘spirit of the game’.

This instance occurred in the first over of the run chase during an ACC Premier Cup tie between the two teams in Malaysia. After opener Ngawang Choden departed for a golden duck, Ritshi, who was supposed to walk in next, was likely not ready to come out. She, however, jogged in with gloves and a helmet in her hand and was seen chatting with the square-leg umpire.

Soon after, the Nepalese fielders appealed as soon as Choden reached the batting crease. Nepal’s Puja Mahato ran across to have a word with the umpire and began celebrating, after which the umpire informed the Bhutan women’s batter that she was dismissed ‘timed out’. She walked back without any hesitation, leaving Bhutan 0 for 2 after just one ball.

Meanwhile, after the game, CAN issued an apology to Bhutan Cricket, the player involved and all stakeholders in a presser, as the incident was not in line with the spirit of cricket the board 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 recognise 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.”