IPL 2024: Dinesh Karthik Out or Not? Sunil Gavaskar's verdict on RR vs RCB umpiring controversy
An intense LBW decision involving Dinesh Karthik during the RR vs RCB IPL 2024 Eliminator led to a heated umpiring debate. With opinions from cricket legends like Sunil Gavaskar and reactions from players, the match witnessed high drama.
FollowIn the RR vs RCB IPL 2024 Eliminator, Rajasthan Royals managed to put Royal Challengers Bangalore in a tight spot with five wickets down. Dinesh Karthik's LBW decision became the focal point of a controversial umpiring decision. Facing Avesh Khan's delivery in the 15th over, Karthik was given LBW on his first ball.
The straight delivery, which curved late, struck Karthik's pads. Despite using the DRS, where UltraEdge showed a significant spike, it was unclear whether it was due to the bat hitting the pad or the ball. This decision left RR players, including Avesh Khan and Riyan Parag, visibly stunned. RR's Director of Cricket, Kumar Sangakkara, expressed his dissatisfaction by discussing the matter with the umpires.
Sunil Gavaskar weighed in during the replay, stating, "The bat hit the pads and not the ball. If you've edged, you go straight up. You don't walk to the other end to confirm." Kevin Pietersen echoed this sentiment, saying, "I don't think the umpire got it right."
In the Eliminator clash of IPL 2024, Rajasthan Royals, led by skipper Sanju Samson, won the toss and opted to bowl first against Royal Challengers Bangalore. The winner of this match will face Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 2 at Chennai on Friday. RCB, with six consecutive wins, secured their playoff spot, while RR, after four consecutive losses and a washed-out game, aimed for redemption.
Samson mentioned that Shimron Hetmyer would return to the playing eleven after recovering from injury and would likely bat when RR started their chase. Faf du Plessis, the RCB skipper, stated that he would have preferred to bowl first had the coin toss gone their way and confirmed that their team remains unchanged from their previous victory over Chennai Super Kings.
With observations from the previous game, du Plessis noted the early assistance for seam bowlers but acknowledged the drier conditions with some artificial grass on the pitch. He emphasised their focus on their skills and staying true to their game plan.
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