Ambati Rayudu sets off fresh storm on Suryakumar Yadav's T20 World Cup catch: 'Rope was pushed back; we could see...'

Almost 14 months after that iconic moment ended India’s 11-year wait for an ICC trophy, former cricketer Ambati Rayudu has reignited the debate over the legality of Suryakumar Yadav’s match-winning catch in the T20 World Cup final against South Africa in Barbados. Ambati Rayudu set off a fresh storm on Suryakumar Yadav's catch in the T20 World Cup final

Stationed at long-off, Yadav juggled the ball near the boundary cushion before completing the grab that dismissed David Miller and sealed India’s win. While the effort was instantly hailed as one of the greatest pressure catches in cricket history, some questioned whether his foot had brushed the rope. Fans dissected pictures and clips from multiple angles, fueling long arguments on social media.

The controversy had eventually died down, but Rayudu, who was on commentary duty that day, revisited it on the Unfiltered Podcast with Shubhankar Mishra. He claimed that the boundary rope during the final had briefly been pushed back to make space for broadcast equipment and, once removed, was not restored to its original position.

"There were world feed commentators. During the break, they usually put a chair and a screen there for broadcasters. That’s why the rope was pushed back a little. But after the screen and chair were removed, it was left that way. The boundary ended up being a bit bigger for us. We could see it clearly from above. It was god’s plan," Rayudu said.

At the time, several South African fans and ex-cricketers had also argued that the rope was not in its original place and was positioned a few feet inside, sharing images online to highlight the supposed discrepancy.

According to ICC’s playing conditions, however, the cushion itself — not the white line — defines the boundary. Section 19.3 specifies: “If a solid object used to mark the boundary is disturbed for any reason, then the boundary shall be considered to be in its original position.” Section 19.3.2 further adds: “If a solid object used to mark the boundary is disturbed for any reason, the object shall be returned to its original position as soon as is practicable; if play is taking place, this shall be as soon as the ball is dead.”

Asked later about the chatter, Suryakumar gave a typically candid response: “I don’t know if it was a six (in natural circumstances) or not. If the rope had been placed at its normal position, maybe Surya would’ve run from inside.”

Click here to read article