A moment of cricketing controversy is exploding online after Sri Lankan umpire Kumar Dharmasena appeared to signal an inside edge before England could review an LBW decision during the final Test between England and India at The Oval. The gesture, seemingly indicating the ball hit the bat, has sparked outrage among fans, commentators, and analysts who believe Dharmasena may have unintentionally (or otherwise) influenced the review process.
It all happened in the final Test match where England made an LBW appeal, only for Dharmasena to immediately rule it not out. But then came the twist: a subtle hand movement by Dharmasena, interpreted by many as a signal to the English bowler that the ball had clipped the bat. This seemingly minor gesture has now blown into a major talking point.
Social media went into meltdown. Fans flooded X (formerly Twitter) with memes, screenshots, and slow-mo clips, alleging Dharmasena helped England avoid burning their final review. “Netizens are furious after Kumar Dharmasena saved ENG from burning their review,” one widely shared post declared.
Others went further, questioning the integrity of the moment. “Why is Sri Lankan umpire Kumar Dharmasena telling the English bowler that it’s a clear edge?” one fan asked. “Clearly he is fixing there because he showed that signal, that’s why English fielders didn’t appeal after that and didn’t go for a review.”
InsideSport echoed the sentiment, asking whether Dharmasena had gone too far by signaling anything at all. “Was it the right call to signal the inside edge and save England a review?” they posted, with a zoom-in screenshot of Dharmasena’s hand gesture.
The incident has raised key questions about the role of umpires in DRS decisions. While officials are trained to communicate their decision clearly, there’s growing concern over how those communications—verbal or non-verbal—could influence a team’s strategic use of the Decision Review System.
So far, the ICC has not responded to the incident, nor has Dharmasena made any public statement.
But one thing is clear, this isn’t the first time Kumar Dharmasena has been at the center of a DRS controversy. And if reactions are anything to go by, it definitely won’t be the last.
