Harsha Bhogle has urged Bangladesh fans not to “look for excuses” for their team’s loss as the “fake fielding” claims against Virat Kohli gain traction on social media.

Cricket matches between India and Bangladesh frequently turn into contentious affairs. Wednesday’s T20 World Cup 2022 Group 2 encounter saw the two teams square off, and thereafter, Bangladesh wicket-keeper batsman Nurul Hasan accused India’s Virat Kohli of “false fielding.” The allegation sparked a heated discussion on social media amongst supporters of the two teams. Even seasoned cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle voiced his opinion on the matter, advising the Bangladeshi supporters to refrain from “searching for excuses” after their defeat.

After the match against India ended, Hasan addressed the media in the mixed zone and blamed his team’s loss in part on the “false fielding” incident. Many fans have since commented on the incident on social media, arguing that Bangladesh should have received 5 runs as a result of Kohli’s conduct. As the debate grew more heated, Bhogle clarified that in order for India to receive a 5-run penalty, the umpires must first detect it, assess it, and then determine whether the bowling side needs to be warned. “On the fake fielding incident, the truth is that nobody saw it. The umpires didn’t, the batters didn’t and we didn’t either. Law 41.5 does make provision for penalising fake fielding (the umpire still has to interpret it thus) but no one saw it. So what do you do!

“I don’t think anyone can complain about the ground being wet. Shakib was right when he said it should favour the batting side. The umpires and curators have to keep the game going till it is not possible to do so. And they handled it very well so that minimum time was lost. “So, for my friends in Bangladesh, please don’t look at fake fielding or wet conditions as a reason for not reaching the target. If one of the batters had stayed till the end, Bangladesh could have won it. We are all guilty of it….when we search for excuses, we don’t grow,” Harsha said in a series of tweets.

After play was halted by rain and the target was reduced to 151 runs in 16 overs, Bangladesh lost momentum while pursuing the original 185-run objective. With 60 points off of 27, Litton Das provided his team a good start. Nurul Hasan extended the game to the last over by scoring 25 off of 14, but his efforts fell short of advancing the team to victory.