Shubman Gill was left fuming at the umpires during the first innings of today’s IPL 2024 match between Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans in Jaipur.
Gujarat Titans won the toss and elected to field first in a game that was delayed by ten minutes due to rain. GT started well with the ball, getting rid of both RR openers Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal inside the powerplay.
Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad then troubled Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag, but several dropped catches and multiple misfields allowed the pair to settle in and rescue the Rajasthan innings. Parag reached his third fifty of the season in the 14th over. At 139-2 after 16 overs, RR looked set to go beyond 180. Mohit Sharma came onto bowl the 17th and started with his trademark slower delivery into the pitch.
The first three balls fetched seven runs before the fourth ball was called a wide after Samson took a successful review to challenge the on-field call as the ball appeared to bounce above his head. Two balls later, there was another wide review. This one, however, ended up being much more controversial.
Mohit bowled a back-of-the-length slower ball well outside off stump. Samson tried to reach for it but ended up missing it as the ball died down on its way to the wicketkeeper.
The on-field umpire called it a wide, which led GT to ask for a review. The TV umpire Ananthapadmanabhan argued that since Samson was not in his usual stance and had shuffled across slightly to play the ball, the ball wouldn’t be considered a wide despite being outside the tramline as the distance of Samson’s initial movement was more than how far outside the wide line the ball was.
He then asked the on-field umpire to stay with his non-wide call, mistakenly assuming that the signal was not a wide. Upon realising that the on-field signal was wide, the TV umpire asked for another replay and decided that the on-field call should stand, eventually judging it to be a wide.
Shubman Gill unhappy with the umpires.
First 3rd umpire said it was not wide, then said it’s wide. pic.twitter.com/OSzoIX2BlS
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) April 10, 2024
The TV umpire going back and forth with his decision left Gill, the GT captain, fuming as he argued with the on-field umpires about the call. The wide call remained and the extra ball ended up fetching a boundary for the Royals.
They finished their innings at 196-3 with Samson remaining unbeaten on 68 off 38.
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