After the second match of IPL 2020 which was between Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) and Delhi Capitals (DC) a controversy erupted following a grave umpiring error that affected the end result of the game.
During the match, KXIP were affected the most as they were denied a run despite the batsman crossing the line. The square-leg umpire had adjudged it to be a short run wrongly in the 19th over which eventually cost KXIP the game.
After the match got over, fans on social media were left fuming over the fact that the umpires didn’t change the decision after it was shown on the big screen. Amid all the chaos, fans felt that the third umpire should have intervened and overturned the decision.
A day after the controversy went viral, renowned cricket analyst and commentator Harsha Bhogle explained the reason why the TV umpire didn’t intervene in the matter. As per rules, the third umpire cannot over-rule the on-field umpire’s decision in terms of line calls, in this case, the short-run.
Meanwhile, Harsha also felt that in future all the line calls should be adjudicated off ground to minimise errors. He too felt that the short run decision could have been changed in the game on Sunday.
Amid all the corrections and uproar, the KXIP management seems to be unhappy with the decision and they have appealed to the match referee to review the rules. Even former India cricketer Virender Sehwag lashed out saying, "I don’t agree with the man of the match choice. The umpire who gave this short run should have been man of the match. Short Run nahin tha. And that was the difference."
Check out Harsha's tweet below:
In this case, it would have been prudent to change the score because the same batsman was on strike and the fielding team couldn't have changed tactics. Scores have been changed in international cricket in the past to rectify errors. Best time was between overs 19 & 20.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) September 21, 2020