Six wickets fell in a space of 47 balls at the Narendra Modi Stadium as the Royal Challengers Bengaluru slipped from 34-0 to 96-6, and Jason Holder was involved in four of those dismissals, all on consecutive occasions. The Gujarat Titans all-rounder dismissed Jitesh Sharma, which remained his sole wicket, while he picked up three catches, one of which was a stunner at deep backward square leg. But the wonderful piece of fielding sparked fury in the RCB camp.
Virat Kohli was not happy with the decision on Rajat Patidar's dismissal
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The incident happened in the fourth ball of the eighth over when left-arm seamer Arshad Khan hit a hard length. It wasn't a pullable length, but RCB captain Rajat Patidar went ahead with the shot and spliced it into the air.
Holder ran across from deep square leg, and so did Kagiso Rabada. But the West Indies star avoided a collision and he grabbed a smart low catch. The TV umpire, Abhijit Bhattacharya, examined it and deemed it out, but Patidar hung around near the boundary.
The RCB camp was convinced that the ball touched the ground when Holder slid and completed the catch. Virat Kohli, in particular, was shocked by the decision and enraged. He immediately walked up to the reserve umpire, Parashar Joshi, and was seen having an animated discussion. Head coach Andy Flower joined him, and the discussion lasted long after Patidar accepted his fate and walked over the ropes to the dugout.
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The RCB camp was convinced that the ball touched the ground when Holder slid and completed the catch. Virat Kohli, in particular, was shocked by the decision and enraged. He immediately walked up to the reserve umpire, Parashar Joshi, and was seen having an animated discussion. Head coach Andy Flower joined him, and the discussion lasted long after Patidar accepted his fate and walked over the ropes to the dugout.
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Commentator Eoin Morgan, however, sided with the TV umpire. "Holder is in full control in my eyes," he said. Patidar departed for 19 off 15.
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That was the first of the four dismissals in which Holder was involved. In the next over, he dismissed Jitesh for just one run as he nicked behind to leave RCB at 80 for 4 in the ninth over. And that turned to 91 for five in the next over when Tim David dragged Rashid to Holder at mid-wicket for 9 off 6. In the next over, Krunal Pandya holed a delivery from Arshad to Holder at mid-wicket for 4 off 4 as RCB slipped further to 96 for six in 10.3 overs.
Earlier in the evening, the Gujarat Titans won the toss and opted to bowl first against the defending champions.
Kohli got RCB off to a flyer after taking down Rabada for five consecutive boundaries in the second over. But the fast bowler had the last laugh as he returned an over later to dismiss Kohli with a shorter delivery. An over before that, RCB had lost their first wicket, with Rashid Khan removing Jacob Bethell.
Aratrick Mondal is a senior sports journalist based in New Delhi. In his eight years as a sports writer, Aratrick has worked at leading media organisations, including The Times of India, Times Now, Zee, India TV and currently works at a senior position at Hindustan Times Digital. He writes on cricket, football, pickleball and tennis, among other sports. He has extensively covered India's evolving cricket landscape, the country's new-found love for private leagues such as Indian Pickleball League (IPBL), Ultimate Kho Kho League (UKK), Rugby Premier League (RPL) and several tennis leagues. He has closely covered emerging sports such as pickleball. His coverage of major franchise events lends an atmospheric flavor to his ground reports. His recent story on how SA20 (the domestic cricket league of South Africa) had opened up its grounds to create a carnival-like fan experience garnered major international attention, including appreciation from major cricketers. Tennis holds a special place in his heart. Aratrick has built a strong niche in analytical tennis stories—ranging from Grand Slam narratives and player profiles to tactical breakdowns and ranking trends. His long-form features often decode grand slams, career highs and lows of tennis greats and the upward trajectory of emerging stars. He also closely follows India's tennis landscape, having covered the Davis Cup, Bengaluru Open and Tata Open, among others. His reporting is backed by strong data capabilities, with hands-on experience using tools like Python, Tableau, and Excel to produce visually rich, insight-led stories. This data-first approach enhances accuracy, transparency, and trust. In leadership roles, he has managed editorial shifts, overseen homepage strategy, optimised SEO workflows, and mentored peers to deliver consistent, high-traffic journalism. He recently won the HT DigiStar award for the third quarter of financial year 2025-26. Aratrick is trusted for his balanced reportage, sound sourcing, and ability to translate complex sporting events into engaging narratives that speak to a wide audience. He believes sports is for everyone, not just for the enthusiasts and has a unique ability to bring people together - just like the sumptuous meals you'll often find him cooking on a weekend evening.
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Home/Cricket/Virat Kohli left raging at decision on Rajat Patidar’s dismissal; argues with umpire as Holder’s catch sparks RCB fury
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