Match 56 of the IPL 2024 edition took place on Tuesday (May 7) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium where Rishabh Pant-led Delhi Capitals (DC) beat Sanju Samson’s Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 20 runs in a high-scoring affair. Asked to bat first, the home side posted 221-8 courtesy of Jake Fraser-McGurk’s 50, Abhishek Porel’s 65 and Tristan Stubbs’ 20-ball 41. In reply, Samson-led RR managed 201 for 8 despite their captain’s impressive 46-ball 86.
Samson kept his side in the run-chase with his effortless striking from one end. However, his dismissal shifted the momentum in DC’s favour as the home side pulled off a 20-run win to remain in the playoffs race. In the 16th over, by Mukesh Kumar, Samson tried to smack a length ball over long-on but failed to get the desired elevation as Shai Hope completed a good catch at the deep. The West Indian came up with a brilliant effort to prevent a six as he tip-toed around the boundary and completed the catch. Nonetheless, it was a touch-and-go scenario as it didn’t seem like a clear catch. Here is the video:
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The decision was sent upstairs for a check where Michael Gough adjudged it out after only one angle of the replay was checked. Thus, England’s 2009 T20 World Cup-winning captain Paul Collingwood feels Gough could’ve checked more angles before coming to a conclusion.
On Star Sports, Collingwood said, “Goughy (Michael Gough) is a very good friend of mine. So I am going to defend him (chuckles). Maybe he could have given himself another angle, just to double-check. Because it was so, so close. Those decisions and those moments make a huge difference. So maybe he could have given himself a little bit more time.”
The Englishman added, “I know in the IPL, the organisers want to quicken things up, the umpires are being told that they have got to quicken the decisions. I think, on this occasion, a couple of more angles, just to clarify could have put everybody at ease. That might have been the best way to go.”
At the post-match press conference, RR director of cricket and head coach Kumar Sangakkara opined on the dismissal and said, “Depends on replays and angles. It was a difficult one for the third umpire to judge. The game was at a crucial stage, so it happens in cricket. Different perspectives. Even if we have any other opinion, we will share it with the umpires and sort it out. I thought irrespective of that dismissal, RR still should have seen the game home.”
After Samson’s departure, RR’s run-chase fell apart as they only managed 201 for 8 with Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh and Kuldeep Yadav shining for DC in the death overs. Despite the 20-run loss, RR remain at the top of the points table with 16 points from 11 encounters.
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