While the fixture between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) saw a thriller, it will be remembered for the controversial dismissal of Virat Kohli . The batter was given out after he played a ball above his waist.
The third umpire gave out as the trajectory showed the ball was dipping and would’ve been below his waist at the crease. This led to a huge fight between Kohli and the umpires, with fans and pundits divided.
Former Indian opener and commentator, Navjot Singh Sidhu, came to Virat Kohli’s defense. He uploaded a video on his X, where he explained that the umpires were wrong. He also accused the IPL for legalizing beamers, a ball which is banned by the Laws of Cricket.
You can’t get Virat Kohli out like that and think that Navjot Singh Sidhu will approve of it. I will never do it. It was not out and it’s not good for the ‘spirit of the game’ either. If a law is bad it has to be changed. With time, laws have changed. Navjot Singh Sindhu said on on Star Sports
He gave two more reasons for why Kohli shouldn’t have been given out. He argued that the contact point of the bat and ball was at chest level, even with him jumping to play the shot. Sidhu also added that the amount of dip the hawk-eye predicted was impossible, especially with Kohli just 6 inches out of the crease.
Sidhu ended the video by calling for changes in the laws. He said the laws needed to be changed for the betterment of the sport, calling the current rules unfair for batters.
Virat Kohli likes Mohammad Kaif’s post calling out the umpiring
The Virat Kohli dismissal had many mixed opinions, with everyone supporting either side. While many claim Kohli was rightfully dismissed, former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif came to his support.
The former cricketer, now analyst, posted on X and Instagram on why the decision was wrong. Kaif said the Indian star was made to play an unplayable beamer and was wrongly given out.
He also took the example of a wide call against MS Dhoni, which Kaif claimed was under Dhoni’s bat. He was shocked with the “poor” standard of umpiring, especially with the technology involved. Kohli agreed with Kaif by liking his post on Instagram.
More must-reads: