Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Virat Kohli is learnt to have made his anger regarding the costly umpiring error in last night's IPL 2019 game pretty clear to the officiating match referee. According to a Times Now report, Virat forcefully pushed the door of match referee's room and went in to express his feelings over the controversial incident that took place at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday (March 28).
Chasing the target of 188, RCB needed seven runs off the final delivery which youngster Shivam Dube played straight to the long-on fielder for no run. But just after the game ended, it was found out over the big screen that veteran Sri Lanka pacer Lasith Malinga had actually overstepped and the on-field umpire failed to spot that.
Reacting to what transpired, Virat was immediately seen shouting expletives in anger before he went up for the post-match presentation ceremony and said, "We are playing at the IPL level and not playing club cricket. The umpires should have had their eyes open."
"That is a ridiculous call (last ball). If it is a game of margins, I don't know what is happening. They should have been more sharp and careful out there."
Even Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Rohit Sharma acknowledged what a massive blunder that was from the on-field umpire and felt bad for Kohli's team.
"I just got to know when we crossed the rope. Somebody just told me it was a no-ball," he said. "These kind of mistakes are not good for the game of cricket, it's pretty simple. The over before that Bumrah bowled a ball which wasn't a wide. Those are game-changers. There's a TV up there, they have to watch what's happening. It is as simple as that."
"Players can't do much. The only thing they can do is walk off and shake hands because it was the last ball. It's disappointing to see that. I hope they rectify their mistakes like we do when we make mistakes," Rohit signed off.
Earlier, Mumbai posted a highly competitive total of 187 for 8. Rohit Sharma (48), Suryakumar Yadav (38) and Hardik Pandya (32 not out) played three very fine knocks.
To which, RCB's great batting duo of Virat Kohli (46) and AB de Villiers (70*) responded with valiant efforts of their own. But they failed to take their side past the finishing line as pacer Jasprit Bumrah bowled an outstanding spell of 3/20 off his four overs and received a "Player-of-the-Match" award.
