The secretary of Tollygunge Agragami, Shubhankar Ghosh Dastidar, is furious about the misconduct during the JC Mukherjee Trophy match between Kumartuli and Tollygunge Agragami held on Tuesday. In a controversial incident, umpire Swastik Dutta Chowdhury declared the 19th over complete after just four balls. This unexpected decision led to confusion and disputes, as Tollygunge, chasing a target of 171, was all out for 168, losing by just 2 runs.

While speaking to Parallel Sports, he stated, “Declaring the over after just four balls is a gross negligence on the part of the umpire. Typically, the game is expected to wrap up by 4:35 pm, but on that day, it ended at 4:43 pm. In a 20-over match, missing two balls in the 19th over is an alarming situation. We were confident of winning, but this deliberate umpiring error cost us the match.”

Shubhankar Ghosh accused the situation as a case of deliberate umpiring, stating, “In the presence of the Umpire’s Committee chairman, the observer, and the umpire, this misconduct occurred, and no one took action.” He further added, “If an umpire can't count from 1 to 10 and declares an over after just four balls, this is not just a lapse in responsibility, but an example of bias.” 

While discussing the umpire's partiality, he stated, “The decision may have favored Kumortuli, as they ended up winning the match that day.”

Despite being deprived of a proper match result, Ghosh still believes in the process of CAB. He emphasised that severe punishment may be necessary for both the umpire and the observer. He stated that drastic action is needed in this situation, as other umpires and observers may take Swastik’s example as a precedent. 

“I have complete confidence that the CAB will make a decision that upholds the truth and ensures justice. They will approach this matter through the proper legal channels.”