Bhutan's Ritshi Choden First Woman Batter Timed Out in International Cricket

Bhutan cricketer Ritshi Choden made history for an unfortunate reason after becoming the first woman batter to be timed out in international cricket. The incident happened during Bhutan's run chase against Nepal in the ACC Premier Cup in Malaysia. After opener Ngawang Choden was dismissed on the very first ball, Ritshi Choden took more than 90 seconds to reach the crease. Under cricket rules, batters must be ready within that time limit. Nepal appealed, and the umpires upheld the decision. Choden, who arrived carrying her helmet and gloves, spoke briefly with the umpire before being informed she was out. She left the field without protesting, leaving Bhutan at 0 for 2 after just one delivery. Although the dismissal was within the rules, Nepal's cricket board later apologised, saying it did not match the values they want to promote. "The incident involving the timed-out dismissal of a Bhutanese batter 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 extend our sincere apologies for the actions of our Women's National Team in this matter. While the dismissal was effected within the Laws of Cricket, we recognize that the spirit of the game extends beyond the written laws and must remain central to our conduct at all times." The early setback hurt Bhutan badly, and they never recovered in their chase of 114. They eventually lost by 51 runs. The victory moved Nepal to the top of Group D with two wins from two matches, while Bhutan remained without a win after two games.