Bhutan’s Ritshi Choden made history on June 4, by becoming the first woman cricketer to be dismissed “timed out” in international cricket. This rare event happened during an Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Women’s T20I Premier Cup match in Malaysia.
Nepal’s national team appealed for the wicket after Choden failed to be ready to bat within the 90-second time limit. While the move followed the official rules of the game, it has caused a major debate about sportsmanship.
Historic Timed Out Incident in Malaysia
The controversial moment occurred at the start of Bhutan’s innings at the Kolej Tuanku Jaafar (KTJ) Oval in Mantin. Nepal had earlier set a target of 114 runs for Bhutan to win. Bhutan’s chase began with immediate trouble. Nepal’s bowler, Kabita Kunwar, yorked Bhutanese opener Ngawang Choden with the very first ball of the innings.
Following the wicket, Ritshi Choden walked out to the pitch at number three. However, she appeared to be unprepared for the situation. Choden arrived at the crease while still carrying her helmet and gloves in her hands. She then spent time putting on her equipment instead of being ready to face the bowler.
Nepal’s players, including wicketkeeper Rubi Poddar, noticed the delay and appealed to the umpires for a “timed out” dismissal. Consequently, the umpires, Sun Meng Yao and Ankita Guha, checked the time and upheld the appeal. Ritshi Choden had to leave the field without facing a single ball. Consequently, Bhutan had zero runs for two wickets after just one ball from the first over.
Cricket Ireland shared their thoughts about the bizarre dismissal on social media. They stated that it’s absolutely wrong for women to be timed out for taking more than 90 seconds to be ready after a wicket falls.
Nepal Cricket Board Issues Sincere Apology
Although the dismissal was legal under the Laws of Cricket, the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) decided to apologise for the actions of their team. Many fans and experts felt that the appeal went against the spirit of cricket. Therefore, CAN released a formal statement on social media shortly after the match concluded.
— CAN (@CricketNep) June 4, 2026
CAN Secretary and former player Paras Khadka signed the apology. The statement explained that the incident did not reflect the values and sportsmanship that the board wants to uphold. CAN extended their regrets specifically to Bhutan Cricket, the player involved, and all cricket supporters.
Understanding the Timed Out Rule in T20 Cricket
According to the rule, a batter coming in to bat has a certain amount of time after a wicket falls. In T20I games, the time limit is set to be 90 seconds. If the batter takes longer than this, the fielding team has the right to appeal for a dismissal. Meanwhile, the time limit is longer in other formats, such as three minutes for Test matches and One Day Internationals (ODIs).
Bhutan captain Anju Gurung later explained that her team had tried to change their batting order at the last second. Unfortunately, the message did not reach Ritshi Choden in time, which caused her to be late to the crease. Bhutan captain Anju Gurung later explained that her team had tried to change their batting order at the last second. Unfortunately, the message did not reach Ritshi Choden in time, which caused her to be late to the crease.
Match Results and Group Standings
After the timed out dismissal, Bhutan struggled to recover from losing two wickets so early in their innings. They finished their 20 overs with a score of 62-8. Only opener Dechen Wangmo finished not out with 39 runs from 60 balls.
Nepal won the match by 51 runs. Earlier in the game, Sita Rana Magar had top-scored for Nepal with 37 runs. Rubina Chhetry also added 24 runs to help Nepal reach a total of 113. This victory was Nepal’s second straight win in Group D of the tournament.
Consequently, Nepal moved to the top of Group D. Meanwhile, Bhutan remained in third place after losing their opening fixtures. The tournament features 18 nations competing for four spots in the 2026 Women’s T20 Asia Cup.
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