Sanju Samson and Shane Watson. (Photo Source: Twitter)
The clash between Delhi Capitals (DC) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday night saw a controversial dismissal of RR skipper Sanju Samson. The catch, taken by Shai Hope at the boundary line, sparked debates around the decision and the quality umpiring taking place in the ongoing edition.
DC hosted the Royals for the 56th match of the season. After winning the toss, Samson opted to field first. DC posted a challenging total of 222 runs, with Jake Fraser-McGurk (50 off 20) and Abhishek Porel (65 off 36) leading the charge. In reply, Samson played a captain’s knock, scoring 86 off 46 balls, before being controversially caught by Hope at the long on.
The RR batter’s dismissal in the 16th over proved to be the turning point of the match. The RR skipper was caught at the long-on boundary by Hope, who looked to have touched the rope while completing the catch. The on-field umpires referred the decision to the third umpire, who eventually ruled it out after replays.
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Meanwhile, former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson offered his opinion on the incident. While speaking about the incident at JioCinema, firmly backed the third umpire’s decision.
“It looked like there might have been some disturbance on the rope. The most important angle that the third umpire had looked like the fielder somehow managed to not touch the rope. It was touch and go there, but with twinkling toes on the boundary, Shai Hope pulled off something very special. And you can see one of the owners of DC, Parth Jindal, being very vocal on what he thought was the decision,” Watson said.
Also read: Sanju Samson has proven his worth time and again, winning matches for his team: Matthew Hayden
The former cricketer acknowledged the confusion surrounding the dismissal but asserted that the third umpire made the right call. “There was a little bit of confusion, but in the end, the third umpire got the decision right, I believe. It was very clear at the end, so there was no indecision about that call,” the ex-RR player added.
Despite the controversy, DC held their nerves and successfully defended the total, securing a 20-run victory over the visitors. The win has kept their playoff hopes alive, while Rajasthan missed an opportunity to become the first team to seal a Playoffs’ spot.