IPL 2022, SRH vs RR: Williamson dismissed in a close caught call; fans beg to differ

Kane Williamson was given out controversially by the third umpire during the Rajasthan Royals clash against SunRisers Hyderabad in IPL 2022. However, fans are not convinced.

Umpiring in the Indian Premier League (IPL) continues to be a topic of debate. The first umpiring controversy of IPL 2022 occurred on Tuesday, during the clash of two former champions SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Rajasthan Royals (RR). Played at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune, SRH skipper cum opener Kane Williamson was dismissed for just a couple while chasing a target of 211.

However, Williamson's dismissal drew controversy despite the third umpire closely looking at it. As pacer Prasidh Krishna bowled a back of a length delivery, Williamson edged it behind to wicketkeeper Sanju Samson, who dived to his right to take it. However, the ball popped out of his right hand, only for Devdutt Padikkal to complete the catch.

Nevertheless, Williamson was not convinced as he urged the umpires to have a look, and they obliged by referring it upstairs. The third umpire checked it through a couple of angles, as the visuals indicated that the ball might have bounced before Padikkal completed the catch. However, the television umpire ruled it in favour of the bowler while Williamson calmly walked away.

Regardless, fans did not take Williamson's dismissal on a good note, as they took to Twitter to vent out their frustration and anger at the third umpire. Eventually, some shared memes. Nonetheless, SRH is off to a troubled start, having already lost three wickets for less than ten runs within the powerplay itself.