Nitin Menon made a howler in the Asian Games Bronze Medal match [Source: Screengrab/X]Umpire Nitin Menon made a big blunder during the Asian Games 2026 Bronze Medal match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka on Saturday. Sri Lankan batter Nuwanidu Fernando was wrongly given out by the umpire, as the batter walked back in disbelief and anger.The incident occurred during a tricky phase of the match, when Sri Lanka had already lost two early wickets, and Nitin Menon produced a howler that stunned the Lankan batter. Interestingly, there is no DRS in the Asian Games, and thus Fernando couldn’t even review the decision.Big gap between bat and ball as Nitin Menon produces a howlerBangladesh spinner Aliss Al Islam bowled a brilliant leg-break delivery that spun away from Fernando as he tried to cut the ball. The batter missed the ball completely as Litton Das, the keeper, grabbed the ball and started to celebrate.Umpire Nitin Menon, within a fraction of a second, raised his fingers, and the Sri Lankan batter was caught behind. While the Tigers celebrated, Fernando looked in anger towards Menon, and his actions were rightly justified.Also Read: Litton Das Blames Lack Of Preparation For Asian Games Semifinal Loss To PakistanCricketGully @thecricketgully Daylight between bat and ball and a brain-fade moment for umpire Nitin Menon. 😀 Oct 3, 2026, 7:00 AM The replays showcased a big blunder as there was no contact between the bat and the ball, and there was a massive gap between the two, which the umpire ignored. Not only the batter, but the commentators were in shock.The right-handed player was sent packing wrongly for just 1 run, as the Lankan Lions lost three quick wickets.Not the first time Nitin Menon has given a wrong on-field decisionThis is not the first time Menon has made a wrong decision on the field, and one such moment took place during the IPL 2025 match between RCB and CSK.In a high-octane contest, CSK needed 214 runs to win, and the team was in cruise control as they needed 43 in the last four overs. However, controversy followed shortly as Dewald Brevis, the CSK batter, was wrongly given out, and it turned the course of the game.Lungi Ngidi, the RCB pacer, trapped Brevis LBW on a low-full toss, and a set batter was sent packing as Nitin Menon gave it out. However, once the replays were shown, Brevis couldn’t believe his luck as the ball was clearly missing the leg stump.CSK lost the match by the barest of margins, and Menon was criticised for taking a wrong call.Also Read: Jay Shah To Present Asian Games 2026 Medals; Mohsin Naqvi Absent- Report
