Virat Kohli’s dismissal in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL 2024 match against Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday created controversy. The batter received a high full toss from Harshit Rana, which surprised the batter, who somehow managed to put the bat on the ball. The ball ballooned up, and Harshit took an easy catch.
The delivery was dipping, and the opener stood outside the crease at the contact time.
Kohli thought it was a no-ball and took a DRS as the on-field umpire had declared him out. However, he didn’t get any respite from the third umpire, who also upheld the decision taken by the on-field official.
TV umpire Michael Gough used Hawk-Eye tracking technology and found that if Virat was standing on the crease or behind it, the ball would have passed his waist at 0.92 meters. Taking Kohli’s measured waist height of 1.04 meters into consideration, the batter was given his marching orders.
However, Kohli lost cool and abused the on-field umpires for the call. After the match, he was involved in a heated discussion with umpire Vinod Seshan.
Seshan stopped him after the contest, and the two spoke about the dismissal.
The former cricketers gave mixed reactions to Kohli’s dismissal.
Irfan Pathan sided with the umpires and even explained why the batter was out.
Mohammed Kaif refused to accept the umpire’s decision.
“My take on Virat Kohli dismissal: It’s an unfair call. If the ball is waist high at the time bat meets ball it should ruled as no ball. Also I have always felt that the ball tracking shows a sharper dip,” Kaif wrote on X.
Even the host broadcasters, Star Sports, were forced to clarify the dismissal.
“Virat was indeed out as per the official rule book. The rule states that for a delivery to be considered a no-ball, the ball must be at waist height as it crosses the stepping crease.
“In Kohli’s situation, while the ball was at waist height when he encountered it, as it crossed the stepping crease, it was below waist height, making it a fair delivery basis the official rule,” the broadcasters wrote.