'Is this a joke?': Bizarre scenes in SMAT final as 3rd umpire makes blunder, apologises after Rajat Patidar's protest
A bizarre incident took place during the final delivery of Madhya Pradesh's innings during their Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final against Mumbai.
In a dramatic turn of events during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final between Madhya Pradesh and Mumbai on Sunday, MP captain Rajat Patidar was involved in a rather bizarre moment. The seasoned middle-order batter, known for his explosive batting, refused to leave the field after a shocking decision from the third umpire.
The incident occurred in the final moments of the first innings, with Mumbai pacer Shardul Thakur bowling the last delivery of MP's innings. Thakur's slower ball, pitched wide outside the off-stump, beat Patidar, who had to shuffle across in an attempt to nudge the ball. The on-field umpire initially called it a wide, but after a review, the TV umpire, KN Ananthapadmanabhan, overturned the decision.
He ruled that Patidar had moved too far across, prompting an irate Patidar to demand a second look at the call. The ball had pitched outside the popping crease, which urged Patidar to stand his ground.
"Extremely sorry, the ball had pitched outside the popping crease. I did not see that," Ananthapadmanabhan was heard saying during the official broadcast as he corrected his decision, giving Patidar and his team another opportunity to finish the over.
The reversal allowed Patidar one more delivery, and he made it count in style. The Madhya Pradesh captain smashed Thakur’s full toss over the ropes for a towering six, capping off a blistering 40-ball 81 that included six sixes.
The internet reacted to the bizarre incident, with a fan asking if it's ‘a joke’, while also calling the umpiring standards ‘mediocre’.
Here are some reactions:
Patidar helped Madhya Pradesh recover from a precarious position, having been reduced to 63/4 after 10 overs. Patidar's fiery knock, aided by the packed Bengaluru crowd, who cheered for him due to his connection with the Royal Challengers Bangalore, ensured that MP finished on a respectable 174/8.
His six off the last ball was the defining moment, pushing his side to a challenging total that Mumbai would have to chase down.
Patidar has been in scintillating form throughout the season, emerging as the leading run-scorer for Madhya Pradesh with 428 runs from nine innings. His ability to hit big has been a feature of his game, having smashed 27 sixes in the tournament, second only to Urvil Patel’s tally of 29.
