Major Controversy as angry Rishabh Pant asks DC batters to return to dugout, sends coach to argue with umpires
The first major controversy of IPL 2022 took place during the Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Friday.
An infuriated DC captain Rishabh Pant tried to call his batters Rovman Powell and Kuldeep Yadav back in the dugout after a debatable umpiring decision regarding a high full-toss in the third ball of the last over of the match. Pant even sent DC assistant coach Pravin Amre on the field to talk to the umpires. Pant’s action was widely criticised by cricket experts and fans alike.
Photos and videos of the drama unfolding in the last over the DC vs RR match went viral on various social media platforms.
It all transpired after the third delivery in the 20th over of DC chase. Obed McCoy bowled a high full-toss which DC batter Rovman Powell clubbed for a six bringing the equation down to 18 runs off the final three deliveries. Powell and non-striker Kuldeep were seen asking the on-field umpires Nitin Menon and Nikhil Patwardhan on why it wasn’t given a no-ball on height.
Things started to escalate quickly as DC captain Pant got involved from the dugout. A visibly furious Pant first asked Powell and Kuldeep to continue arguing with the umpires. But when Menon and Patwardhan stuck with their decision of not calling it a no-ball, Pant, in a rush of blood, signalled the DC batters to return to the dugout.
With no head coach Ricky Ponting in the dugout due to Covid-related issues with his family member, Shane Watson, DC’s another assistant coach, walked up to Pant to try to calm him down.
The India wicketkeeper-batter then sent Amre, who too was equally agitated by the umpiring decision, on the field to have a word with the umpires.
The former India opener rushed on the field, had a word with umpire Menon and came back.
The match finally resumed with McCoy making a good comeback after conceding a hat-trick of sixes in the first deliveries, to seal victory for Royals by 15 runs.
Had the third ball been adjudged a no-ball, the equation would have read 17 runs off 4 balls with a freehit to follow. But as the rules suggest in IPL, a no-ball for height cannot be referred unless a wicket has fallen off it.
This was the second instance of a team captain interrupting proceedings due to a debatable umpiring decision in the IPL. MS Dhoni, then CSK captain, had stormed into the field after a no-ball decision was changed in an IPL 2019 match against Rajasthan Royals.