Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) opening batter Virat Kohli was fuming at the umpires after being adjudged out in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) contest against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Eden Gardens on Sunday, April 21.
Kohli was caught and bowled off Harshit Rana’s full-toss in the third over of the run chase after KKR posted 222 runs in the first innings. The right-arm pacer attempted to bowl a slower delivery, but the ball ended up being a looping full toss.
The opening batter, deceived by the lack of pace, tried to put some bat on it, but could only make contact with the outside edge. Rana claimed the catch after continuing his follow-through, but there was a lot of confusion over the legality of the delivery, and the dismissal in extension.
Kohli went for a review straightaway, but since it was a no-ball call, it ended up being an umpire’s review. The new no-ball review system which takes the ball’s projected trajectory into account against the batter’s waist height was put into effect by third umpire Michael Gough.
Another important fact that needs to be taken into account is that Kohli was standing well outside his crease. As a result, although his contact with the ball was above waist length, it would not have been had he stayed in his crease, which is what decides whether a delivery is a no-ball or not.
Have a look at the incident here:
Kohli was absolutely livid over the third umpire’s ruling and pleaded his case with the on-field umpires, with RCB skipper Faf du Plessis also presenting his case. The former skipper walked away once he realised he was waging a losing battle, but was still angry.
On his walk back to the pavilion, Kohli took a slight detour to unload one final dose of his frustration to the on-field umpires by getting into their faces.
The opening batter was looking in good touch, and could have extended his lead in the Orange Cap race. He departed after scoring 18 runs off seven deliveries.
Virat Kohli has been on the receiving end of controversial dismissals before as well
Kohli has not been on the same page as DRS in the past, particularly when it comes to LBW calls. One particular instance was his LBW dismissal against Ajaz Patel in the Wankhede Test in 2021.
After being adjudged LBW, Kohli had opted for a review on that occasion. Replays showed a very close call, and there was no way to actually determine whether the ball made contact with the bat or pad first.
Citing a lack of conclusive evidence, third umpire Nitin Menon asked on-field umpire Anil Chaudhary to stay with his original decision, which ended Kohli’s stay at the crease.
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Edited by Shubham Banerjee