Bhutanese cricketer Ritshi Chodan unfortunately made history by becoming the first woman batsman to be timed out in international cricket. The incident took place during Bhutan’s run chase against Nepal in the ACC Premier Cup in Malaysia.After opener Ngawang Chodon was dismissed on the very first ball, Ritshi Chodon took more than 90 seconds to reach the crease. Under cricket rules, batsmen must be ready within this time limit. Nepal appealed, and the umpires upheld the decision. Chauden, who arrived with her helmet and gloves, spoke briefly to the umpire before she was dismissed. She left the field without protest, leaving Bhutan at 0 for 2 after just one delivery.Although the dismissal was within the rules, the Nepal Cricket Board later apologized, saying it did not match the values they wanted to promote.“The timely dismissal of a Bhutanese batsman during today’s match does not reflect the values and spirit of cricket that the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) strives to uphold,” CAN said.The board added: “On behalf of the Cricket Association of Nepal, we sincerely apologize for the actions of our women’s national team in this matter. While the dismissal was carried out under the Laws of Cricket, we recognize that the spirit of the game trumps the written rules and should be central to our conduct at all times.”The early blow hurt Bhutan badly, and they never recovered in their chase of 114. They eventually lost by 51 runs. The victory took Nepal to the top of Group D with two wins from two matches, while Bhutan remained winless after two matches.
