Delhi Capitals emerged victorious by two wickets against the Mumbai Indians in a thriller.
During the game, the third umpire had to make three tight calls on run out appeals from MI, and all of them went in favour of DC.
Opting to bowl, DC bowled out MI for 164 in 19.1 overs. In the run-chase, Arundhati Reddy (2 not out) took the two required runs off the final ball to get over the line. But in the moments leading up to that finish, there were controversial moments involving TV Umpire Gayathri Venugopalan, who was called into action for three run out calls.
First, it was Shikha Pandey in the 18th over and then Radha Yadav in the penultimate over. And finally, it was Arundhati Reddy in the last delivery off the last over. On all three occasions, multiple replays were asked for by the umpire, who meticulously studied the frames, but seemed to construe that the lighting of the stumps didn’t matter for considering when the stumps were broken.
However, as per rule 4.2 in the official Playing Conditions: “Where LED Wickets are used (as provided for in paragraph 3.8.1.5) the moment at which the wicket has been put down (as per clause 29.1) shall be deemed to be the first frame in which the LED lights are illuminated and subsequent frames show the bail permanently removed from the top of the stumps.”
The clause 29.1 further states: “The wicket is broken when at least one bail is completely removed from the top of the stumps, one or more stumps is removed from the ground.”
Former New Zealand and RCB coach Mike Hesson also questioned the decision-making of the third umpire on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
“Not sure why the umpire tonight has decided that the zinger bails are not applicable? Once bails lights up connection is lost therefore wicket is broken! That is in the playing conditions! Have seen more confusion in last 10 mins than ever before,” Hesson tweeted.