A contentious decision by the third umpire to overturn an lbw call against Dinesh Karthik ignited controversy during the high-stakes Eliminator match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 between Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Wednesday.
In the 15th over of RCB's innings, Avesh Khan's full and straight delivery struck Karthik's pads, prompting the on-field umpire to raise his finger. Following a brief discussion with his partner Mahipal Lomror, Karthik opted for a Decision Review System (DRS) referral.
While the UltraEdge technology displayed a significant spike, it remained unclear whether the bat had made contact with the ball before hitting the pad. However, the third umpire ruled in Karthik's favor, adjudging him not out.
Significantly, this controversial call came on the very first ball Karthik faced in the match. He went on to contribute 11 runs off 13 deliveries, including one boundary, before departing in the penultimate over.
The decision sent shockwaves through the commentary box and the cricketing fraternity. Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar, providing commentary at the time, was scathing in his criticism. "The bat has hit the pad, the bat has not hit the ball," Gavaskar declared unequivocally.
Taking to social media, former England captain Michael Vaughan echoed Gavaskar's sentiment, tweeting, "The bat hit the pad .. that was OUT .. #IPL .. Shocking decision .."
Wasim Jaffer, a former Indian opener, chimed in on a similar note, writing on a social media platform, "Bat hit pad, also DK looked hesitant to review as he knew he was out. Third umpire got it wrong again. #RCBvRR #Eliminator #IPL2024"
