Kolkata Knight Riders’ must-win clash against Mumbai Indians on May 20 ended with victory on the field, but also left behind major confusion around one of the strangest substitution moments of IPL 2026. Questions quickly emerged online after KKR appeared to use a concussion substitute for Angkrish Raghuvanshi despite the youngster seemingly suffering only a finger injury during the game.
The confusion began midway through Mumbai Indians’ innings when Raghuvanshi injured himself while attempting a full-length diving catch off Varun Chakravarthy’s bowling in the 11th over. The KKR youngster initially continued wicketkeeping after the incident before eventually walking off the field in the 14th over for further treatment.
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Tejasvi Singh Dahiya then took over wicketkeeping duties for the remainder of the innings.
But things became far more confusing during the innings break.
KKR’s official social media handles announced that Ramandeep Singh had replaced Angkrish Raghuvanshi as a concussion substitute. The update immediately sparked debate among fans because Raghuvanshi had apparently suffered a finger injury rather than any visible head or neck impact.
Then came another twist.
When KKR lost Rovman Powell during the chase with 24 runs still needed off 28 balls, it was not Ramandeep Singh who walked out to bat. Instead, Tejasvi Dahiya came in at number seven, adding even more confusion around who had officially replaced Raghuvanshi in the match.
Later, KKR quietly deleted the social media post mentioning Ramandeep Singh as the concussion substitute.
And that only intensified the debate further.
WHY DID KKR’S CONCUSSION SUBSTITUTE CREATE CONFUSION?
Under IPL playing conditions, teams are only allowed to use a concussion substitute if a player suffers a confirmed or suspected concussion linked to a head or neck injury.
The replacement must also be approved by the match referee and remain a “like-for-like” substitution so teams do not gain an unfair tactical advantage.
That is why KKR’s substitution instantly raised eyebrows.
At least from the visuals available during the broadcast and the information shared publicly by the franchise, Raghuvanshi appeared to injure only his finger while diving for the catch. There was no visible indication of a head or neck injury during the incident.
KKR also did not officially clarify whether Raghuvanshi had suffered any delayed concussion symptoms after leaving the field.
That gap in communication quickly led to confusion among fans online, especially after Ramandeep Singh was initially named as the replacement before Tejasvi Dahiya eventually walked out to bat instead.
Interestingly, Mumbai Indians had themselves faced a similar concussion substitute controversy earlier this season during their clash against Chennai Super Kings.
During that game, Shardul Thakur replaced Mitchell Santner after the New Zealand all-rounder hurt himself while taking a diving catch. Although Santner had visibly injured his shoulder, MI later clarified that he had also suffered a neck impact and dizziness, leading match officials to approve the concussion replacement.
KKR’s situation, however, still remains far less clear.
KKR KEPT PLAYOFF HOPES ALIVE
Amid all the confusion, KKR still managed to secure a massive victory against Mumbai Indians to keep their IPL 2026 playoff hopes alive.
Chasing 148 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata held their nerve in a tense finish before Rinku Singh eventually hit the winning runs to seal the chase.
The win pushed KKR to 13 points, level with Punjab Kings, keeping them firmly alive in the race for the final playoff spots heading into the closing phase of the league stage.
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