The Delhi Capitals took on the Rajasthan Royals in the 34th game of TATA IPL 2022 at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. The Capitals won the toss and chose to field first. Thanks to Jos Buttler’s heroic ton, RR posted a total of 222-8 after 20 overs.

The Delhi Capitals didn’t have a good start and lost wickets at regular intervals. However, their run rate was almost at par throughout the innings. In the final five overs, DC needed 74 runs to win.

Some big shots from Lalit Yadav took them further close to the victory as they needed 36 to win from 12, which was tough but gettable. However, the real drama was yet to unfold. To understand what happened in the final over, let’s first understand what happened in the 19th over.

19th Over by Prasidh Krishna

Defending 36 from the last 12 balls is always easier than scoring them. At the most, Sanju Samson, the RR skipper, would have expected 15 runs from the over, leaving at least 20 for the last six balls.

To everyone’s surprise, Prasidh Krishna bowled the 19th over of the innings without giving away a single run. He even took a wicket. Yes, you heard that right. Prasidh Krishna bowled a wicket maiden over.

Lalit Yadav played three dot balls before getting out while the newcomer, Kuldeep Yadav, faced the rest three. Rovman Powell, the big-hitter from West Indies, was a mere spectator at the non-striker’s end. What happened in the final over would make you think of a different outcome to the game had Powell got a chance to play a couple of balls in the 19th over.

Also Read: IPL 2022 Debut Players List (Updated)

What Happened in the 20th Over in DC vs RR Game?

Since Krishna bowled a maiden (19th over), DC needed 36 runs off 6 balls. This effectively meant they needed to smash 6 sixes in 6 balls.

The bowl was handed to Obed McCoy, a youngster from West Indies. Most of the viewers, commentators, and cricket analysts would have given the game to the fielding side. But everyone was in for a surprise.

The first ball of the McCoy over went for a massive six over the long-off fence. Powell hammered the ball with full force to get the best results.

On the second delivery, Powell smashed McCoy for a maximum over the covers region. Suddenly, there was life in the game. DC needed 24 from 4. It was precisely the third ball of the final over when the drama unfolded.

McCoy bowled a waist-high full toss to Powell, who plummeted it over the mid-wicket fence for a massive six. Immediately, the batter looked at the square-leg umpire, asking for a no-ball for height.

But the umpire remained unmoved. The batting team’s protest grew bigger when Kuldeep Yadav started moving toward the square leg umpire, asking for a no-ball. He was stopped by Yuzvendra Chahal.

Things took an ugly turn when the DC skipper, Rishabh Pant, signaled from the dugout to Powell and Kuldeep to leave the field if the umpires were not ready to refer it to the third umpire.

Rishabh Pant asking Powell and Kuldeep to come back.

In fact, the batting team only wanted the on-field umpires to leave the decision to the third umpire. Usually, the on-field umpires do this when someone gets out off a waist-high full toss.

However, since the match was at a crucial stage, the batters were hell-bent. At one stage, the DC batters were seen walking toward the dugout. But after umpire Nitin Menon talked to Powell, he came back to bat.

Shane Watson was seen calming Rishabh Pant down, who was furious to get the decision overturned. He even sent an official from the team management onto the ground to discuss with the umpires. However, all their efforts failed, and the on-field umpires didn’t refer it to the third umpire.

Shane Watson trying to calm Rishabh Pant Down.

DC needed 18 off 3 balls, but Powel could not do it for them. They eventually lost by 15 runs.

Was Rishabh Pant Right to Ask his Batters to Come back?

In my personal opinion, what he signaled was not correct. That is something we do while playing gully cricket. Come on, I mean, you are the captain of an IPL team, amongst the best tournaments around the globe.

There has to be some kind of maturity when playing at this level. You have to respect the umpire’s decision, which is not in your hand. It was bizarre for Rishabh Pant to do such a thing in an IPL match.

Though he accepted, it happened in the heat of the moment later on, some maturity would have been worthy. If umpires are not allowed to make independent decisions, they might lose credibility.

Not only was he wrong, he even broke the momentum for his own teammate, Rovman Powell. The West Indian was hitting the ball well, and the wind was undoubtedly in DC’s favor. Even R Ashwin said in a post-match interview that the controversy helped RR regain themselves.

Were the Umpires right by not referring it to the third umpire?

To be honest, I felt they could have simply gone to the third umpire, given the significance of the event in the match. The on-field umpires were rigid when they could have been flexible. That’s why you have a third umpire.

Instead of controversy, we could have had a solution.

Why DC and RR Players not Shake hands after the match?

Well, while many would think they didn’t shake hands because of the controversial decision, it is not true. The two teams maintained a distance because of the recent outbreak of Covid-19 in the Delhi Capitals’ camp.

Has something like this happened before?

Yes, in 2019, MS Dhoni had stepped onto the ground from the dugout to argue with the umpire about a purported no-ball. Interestingly, that game also involved Rajasthan Royals.

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