On-field umpire Rohan Pandit couldn’t move out of the ball’s way in time, as a fierce drive hit by Sanju Samson down the ground ricocheted off bowler Donovan Ferreira’s hand straight onto his right knee. The incident resulted in Pandit falling down and screaming in pain, as he underwent a painful experience during the fifth T20I between India and South Africa at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
The incident happened on the fourth ball of the ninth over, as India were batting first in the final match of the series. After an eventful start to the over where Tilak Varma had gotten a couple of boundaries already, Samson tried to take the charge further onto Ferreira, hitting a full-length ball straight back towards the bowler. However, the bowler tried to grab hold of the ball, but failed, as the ball took a blow on Pandit’s knee.
Soon, the Indian team’s physio rushed to the ground and gave the on-field umpire some healing treatment. Samson and other players on the field also checked in if the umpire was okay. After a brief pause of play, Pandit was back on his feet, and the match resumed. However, it raised concerns regarding the safety of on-field umpires, as any physical blow can lead to serious injuries.
Check the video of the incident here
07:49 PM · Dec 19, 2025
Notably, Samson played his first innings in the five-match series, as a leg injury to Shubman Gill allowed him to make a comeback into the side. The Kerala-born opened alongside Abhishek Sharma, and was part of India’s most successful first-wicket partnership of the series, where the duo added 63 runs for the opening wicket.
Samson also outclassed Gill’s tally of runs across the series with just one outing, as he smashed a promising 22-ball 37 at Motera to put the Men in Blue in a commanding position to win the series.
Samson had been running out of the Playing XI for quite some time, while the vice-captain was continuously backed to open despite a poor run of form. The Indian team is due to play the T20 World Cup 2026 to defend their title in a couple of months’ time, and thus, it will be interesting to see if Samson gets priority to open over Gill. The preliminary squad for the 20-team event will be revealed by BCCI on Saturday.
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