Law 34 in cricket governs the extremely rare dismissal known as "hit the ball twice". A batsman is out if, after the ball strikes their bat or person, they willfully strike it again with their bat or body before it has been touched by a fielder. The only exception to this rule is if the second strike is solely for the purpose of guarding the wicket (i.e., stopping the ball from hitting the stumps). Even when guarding the wicket, a batsman cannot prevent a catch or return the ball to a fielder without the fielding side's consent, which could lead to a different dismissal like obstructing the field.
This dismissal is so infrequent that it had only occurred a handful of times in first-class cricket and only once in an international match prior to 2023. Malta's Fanyan Mughal holds the distinction of being the first international batsman to be dismissed for hitting the ball twice, during a T20 match against Romania in August 2023. After missing a pull shot, the ball landed near his feet, and Mughal intentionally knocked it away with his bat to prevent a potential run-out of the non-striker, leading to his dismissal upon appeal from the Romanian team. The bowler, Shantanu Vashisht from Romania, was credited with the wicket.
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