Former India batter Navjot Singh went furious, speaking on the dismissal of Virat Kohli during the game between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Eden Gardens. The no-ball controversy has divided the cricket fraternity into a couple of groups.
The incident occurred on the first ball of the second over during the 223-run chase for RCB. KKR bowler Harshit Rana bowled a waist-high full toss. Virat Kohli took it by surprise, and his leading edge ballooned in the air before the bowl grabbed the simple chance.
Virat Kohli was dismissed on 18 runs in just seven balls after his one boundary and a couple of sixes in the evening. Fans trusted that the ball was above the waist, the moment it contracted with the blade of Virat Kohli. The third umpire, Micheal Gough, after looking from various angles ruled him out because Virat Kohli was outside the crease. They believed that had he not moved at that point, the ball’s trajectory could have found him below that waist height.
Also Read: MS Dhoni for T20 World Cup 2024? Former Indian pacer claims CSK veteran is ready
“The 3rd umpire technology is being used for 90% of the decisions”- Navjot Singh Sidhu on Virat Kohli’s dismissal
Former India opener Navjot Singh Sidhu wasn’t happy with the rule and asked for a change.
“Now the on-field umpire’s job is not to stand in the stadium when 3rd umpire technology is being used for 90% of the decisions shown all on screen.” Sidhu expressed to the Star Sports.
Earlier he also called for the same height relaxations for the batters, just like the officials have relaxed the heights for the bowlers.
“When you’ve made a rule by bringing a 6-inch height-based ideology, did you give the batter a 7-inch allowance? Sidhu questioned the lawmakers.
In any case, it’s the batter who generally receives the ‘benefit of the doubt’.
RCB stays at the bottom of the points table
Even with that failure in the game against KKR, Virat Kohli still holds the ‘Orange Cap’ as the highest run-scorer of the IPL 2023. He has nailed 379 runs so far in eight innings at an average of 63.17 and a strike rate of just over 150.
However, his team has struggled in the tournament. They haven’t tasted victory since their second game of this edition. With six back-to-back losses, the ‘Red Army’ finds themselves at the bottom of the table with a net run rate of -1.046. Only a miracle could change their fortunes.
The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will host RCB on April 25 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
