There was a sudden injury scare during the Pakistan vs UAE Asia Cup 2025 clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium after umpire Ruchira Palliyaguruge was hit on the back of his head.
A Pakistani fielder threw the ball at the non-striker's end but the ball accidentally hit Palliyaguruge on his head, with fears of concussion cripping him.
The incident happened in the sixth over of the match. Pakistan players rushed to the umpire to ensure he was fine, while the Pakistani physio rushed to the ground to assess the official.
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The umpire was tested for concussion and it was later revealed that all was okay with Palliyaguruge. The official, however, left the pitch as a precautionary measure.
WATCH: Ruchira Palliyaguruge hit on head by Pakistani fielder's throw
At the Asia Cup match between #Pakistan and the #UAE, umpire Ruchira Palliyaguruge was hit on the head by the ball. The umpire appeared to be in some pain and later left the field. An additional umpire came on, and the match resumed. #AsiaCup2025 #PAKvUAE pic.twitter.com/vzCv1pJ7Nk
— Manjula Basnayake (@BasnayakeM) September 17, 2025
What happened in Pakistan vs UAE?
After a lot of drama leading up to the game, which involved Pakistan threatening to boycott the tournament and then backtracking on their claim, they agreed to play the match.
MORE: Pakistan does a U-turn after deciding to boycott Asia Cup
The game finally started one hour after the scheduled time and the Pakistanis managed to put up a modest total of 146 runs for the loss of 9 wickets.
The bowlers, however, did well as they cleared up UAE's top order early in the game, including the wicket of danger man Muhammad Waseem.