Dinesh Karthik's bizarre LBW survival leaves Sangakkara furious, Gavaskar left baffled as controversy hits RR vs RCB
Batting great Sunil Gavaskar, who was in the commentary box, was baffled by the third umpire's decision which saved Dinesh Karthik.
The high-octane eliminator clash between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru witnessed a controversial decision by the third umpire, which raised several eyebrows. Dinesh Karthik was the player who was at the centre of the controversial call after he took the DRS.
It was the third ball of the 15th over; Karthik was facing his first and Avesh Khan bowled a tight delivery, which nipped back in and hit the pads, as the umpire straightaway gave it out. Karthik also started moving, but his partner Mahipal Lomror advised him to take the review, and he took the DRS.
During the replay, the ultra edge displayed a small spike when the ball was near the bat, but it seemed like it was because of the bat hitting the pads. However, there was no clear evidence as the third umpire gave it not out.
Batting great Sunil Gavaskar, who was in the commentary box, was baffled by the decision and said, "The bat has hit the pad, the bat has not hit the ball."
Meanwhile, Royals coach Kumar Sangakkara had a chat with some officials about the decision, and he didn't seem impressed by it.
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan also claimed that there was no bat involved.
However, Karthik failed to convert it into a big score and was dismissed for just 11 off 13 balls, as it was a rare failure with the bat this season.
Live Score RR vs RCB IPL 2024 Eliminator Updates
The in-form Bengaluru side failed to put up a big total in the eliminator as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals and posted a below-par 172/8 in 20 overs. Avesh Khan was the pick of the bowlers for the Royals as he claimed three wickets while Ravichandran Ashwin also stepped up on the big occasion and claimed a couple for just 19 runs.
Rajat Patidar was RCB's highest run-getter, scoring 34 runs, while Virat Kohli (33) and Mahipal Lomror (32) also made valiant contributions.
Earlier, RR captain Sanju Samson won the toss and opted to field against Bengaluru in the Eliminator.
Both teams entered the match with a completely contrasting form. The Royals lost four of their last five matches, with one ending with no result. On the other hand, the Challengers have won six on the trot and will look to book their place in Qualifier 2 with their seventh consecutive win of the season.