The Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) has lodged a formal complaint with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over an alleged scoring error that cost its women's Under-19 side the pre-quarter-final of the Women's U19 T20 Championship against Uttarakhand in Nagpur last week. The JSCA contends that a run completed by its batters was not credited by scorers, and that the omission proved the decisive margin in a one-run defeat.

How the Error Unfolded

Chasing 135 runs, Jharkhand were placed at 127/7 at the end of the 19th over, needing eight runs from six balls. The first three deliveries yielded three runs, leaving the side requiring five off the remaining three balls.

The turning point came on the fourth ball when Lakshmi Kumari was run out while attempting two runs alongside Eshika Bhagat. According to reports citing video evidence reviewed by the JSCA, the batters had completed one run before the dismissal — but scorers recorded only a run-out and did not credit that run, leaving Jharkhand still needing five from two balls instead of four.

Bowler Kanika Negi then bowled a wide, reducing the requirement to four off two. On the penultimate ball, No. 10 batter Isha was run out while attempting two runs, with that run correctly credited to bring the equation to three off the final delivery. On the last ball, No. 11 Ishika Deepak was run out as the pair attempted a couple; that run was also credited, and Jharkhand fell short by one run. The JSCA argues the one uncredited run on the fourth ball was the precise difference between elimination and a place in the quarter-finals.

What the Head Coach Said

Jharkhand women's team head coach Jaskaran Singh described the result as deeply disappointing, especially given its historical significance for the state. 'This was the first time Jharkhand had qualified for the knockouts of the women's Under-19, so the result is extremely disappointing,' he was quoted as saying. 'Had this been a league game, the situation may have been different. For players in particular, tournaments like these are extremely important.'

Singh confirmed the team had independently verified the footage before escalating the matter. 'We hope the matter will be looked into so that we can prevent such errors again. We even got the video of the final over checked within the team before lodging a complaint, and it was very clear that the scorers had made a mistake. We immediately brought it to the match referee Anupa Narvekar's attention, after the presentation,' he added.

JSCA's Demand and the Complaint Process

The JSCA has formally petitioned the BCCI to review the scoring record for the match and has called for a mechanism to prevent such errors in future tournaments. The complaint follows the association approaching match referee Narvekar immediately after the post-match presentation ceremony. The BCCI is yet to issue a public response to the complaint, and it is not yet clear whether the result can be reversed or whether a replay will be considered under tournament rules.

Significance for Jharkhand Women's Cricket

The defeat is particularly stinging because this was the first time a Jharkhand women's Under-19 side had advanced to the knockout rounds of the national championship — a landmark achievement that was overshadowed by the disputed finish. The controversy also spotlights a broader concern about the reliability of scoring infrastructure in age-group women's tournaments, an area that has received comparatively less scrutiny than senior-level competitions. How the BCCI responds will set a precedent for how such grievances are handled in domestic women's cricket going forward.