Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has drawn comparisons between Joe Root's dismissal at Ranchi and Chamari Athapaththu's controversial dismissal during the WPL 2024 match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and UP Warriorz on Monday, March 4.
The controversy erupted during the RCB v UPW league match of the ongoing WPL 2024 when the Sri Lankan all-rounder was given out following a controversial DRS call in Bengaluru.
After RCB’s 23-run win over UPW, Chopra said that it was a leg-spin delivery and the ball had pitched very close to the foot. He compared Athapaththu's dismissal to England batter Joe Root's dismissal in the Ranchi Test, describing both as half-volleys.
The cricket commentator also highlighted the importance of hearing from Hawkeye regarding the call and raised questions about the occurrence of more errors when the ball is pitching extremely close to impacting the pads.
Aakash Chopra wrote on X: “This is a leg-spin delivery. The ball pitches really close to the foot. Hawkeye’s projection takes it as a straight ball/googly show hitting the middle stump. Would love to hear Hawkeye’s explanation for this. Do more errors happen when the ball is pitching really close to the impact on the pads? Remember Joe Root’s LBW was a half-volley too.”
Notably, UP Warriorz are currently fourth in the WPL 2024 points table with two wins from their five games in the tournament. They will next face Mumbai Indians on March 7.
