An allegedly horrible decision from the umpires regarding a controversial runout of SRH’s Travis Head caught RR director Kumar Sangakkara fuming.
A contentious umpiring decision involving SunRisers Hyderabad batter Travis Head and the Rajasthan Royals cast a shadow over their IPL match on Thursday at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
Head, known for his aggressive batting, played a measured innings initially before accelerating in the middle overs. After reaching his fifty, he attempted a lofted shot off Avesh Khan’s delivery but missed entirely. Rajasthan wicketkeeper Sanju Samson, alert to the opportunity, dislodged the bails with a quick throw, catching Head short of his crease.
The on-field umpire referred the decision to the third umpire, Rohan Pandit, after a passionate appeal from the Royals. Replays showed Head’s bat was not grounded, particularly from a distant angle. However, the umpire ruled in favour of the batter, sparking a wave of cheers from the home crowd. The decision left the Rajasthan Royals camp fuming. Their Director of Cricket, Kumar Sangakkara, visibly upset, approached the fourth umpire to express his strong disagreement with the call. Watch the video below:
In fact, Irfan Pathan too strongly criticised the decision, as he felt that the replay should have been taken two frames further to judge it correctly.
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This incident highlighted a growing trend of disagreements with fourth umpires in the IPL. Earlier this season, Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting and KKR mentor Gautam Gambhir also had a heated exchange with the fourth umpire regarding substitutions.
Last Updated on May 2, 2024
