The umpiring in the Indian Premier League came under scrutiny once again during Thursday’s clash between Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants. Controversy arose over a catch that appeared to be given out without a thorough review, drawing criticism from fans on social media. In the second over, Finn Allen mistimed a shot off Prince Yadav, and the ball flew to third man, where Digvesh Rathi claimed the catch. The on-field umpire immediately gave him out. However, replays later in the match showed that Rathi’s foot was close to the boundary rope, raising doubts about the decision. Commentators Harsha Bhogle and Faf du Plessis also highlighted that the umpire should have checked multiple angles before making the call, suggesting that a more careful review could have prevented the controversy.
After watching the replay, commentator Bhogle said, "I felt that there was a little crease there on the letters O and O. I thought it deserved a really close look."
Allen was dismissed for just 9 as fans on X lashed out at the umpires for not thoroughly checking the catch or asking the third umpire to take a close look.
Phil Salt's catch also came under the scanner
Earlier in the season, a similar controversy occurred during the opener between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad when Phil Salt took a catch near the boundary. Heinrich Klaasen lofted a Romario Shepherd delivery high on the mid-wicket. Salt completed a tight catch while rolling dangerously close to the boundary ropes, sparking debate over whether he remained in play as the umpires didn't look at many angles before giving the decision in RCB's favour.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier in the season, a similar controversy occurred during the opener between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad when Phil Salt took a catch near the boundary. Heinrich Klaasen lofted a Romario Shepherd delivery high on the mid-wicket. Salt completed a tight catch while rolling dangerously close to the boundary ropes, sparking debate over whether he remained in play as the umpires didn't look at many angles before giving the decision in RCB's favour.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, coming back to Thursday's clash, Lucknow Super Giants won the toss and elected to bowl against Kolkata Knight Riders. LSG decided to go unchanged, while KKR made one change, bringing in Sunil Narine in place of injured Varun Chakaravarthy.
After winning the toss, Rishabh Pant shared his plans for the match, emphasizing the team’s confidence in their bowlers and the positive impact of a recent victory on the squad’s morale. He highlighted the importance of maintaining intent and positivity on the field, while confirming that the playing XI would remain unchanged.
"I think [we are] looking to bowl first. We want to put opposition at the back. As I said before, we trust our bowlers enough that they might do a good job for us. (How significant was that win?) We feel, you know, victory definitely adds to the atmosphere of the team. We always talk about being positive, having that intent at the same time. When you win, I think when people see all that is coming together, really happy for that. We're playing with the same team. No change for us," Pant said.