The IPL 2022 clash between Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals descended into complete chaos on Friday over on-field umpires’ decision to not give a no-ball for a waist-high full-toss. Delhi Capitals players and support staff were convinced that it was no-ball but the umpires didn’t budge and it resulted in chaotic scenes with tensions threatening to boil over. DC captain Rishabh Pant was seen gesticulating at his two batters to walk off the field while assistant coach Pravin Amre entered the field of play to speak to the on-field umpires.
The entire controversy took place in the final over of the match. With Delhi needing 36 runs to win off the final six balls, Rovman Powell hit three consecutive sixes to keep his team in the hunt.
However, on the third ball, which Powell hit for a six, DC players and support staff felt aggrieved that it wasn’t given a no-ball for it being over waist-high. The game came to a standstill as DC players, led by Pant protested.
But after better sense prevailed and the match resumed, Powell was unable to replicate what he had done on the first three balls with Obed McCoy keeping his nerves.
Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen was not impressed with Delhi Capitals’ behaviour. The South African-born in fact said felt that stoppage in play might have worked against DC.
“It may have disrupted Rovman Powell’s concentration and it may have also disrupted the way Rishabh Pant was thinking about the game. I think that is more concerning to me than the umpire call. The behaviour of Delhi here, I do not think that would have happened if Ricky Ponting was here. I do not think that would have happened at all. I think Jos Buttler had every right to walk over to Rishabh Pant and say ‘what on the earth are you doing?’ For them to send one of their coaches, for one of the coaches to go out there and think that was right and that was the correct behaviour,” Pietersen told host broadcaster Star Sports after the game ended.
“We play the gentleman’s game, people make mistakes. How many times we have nicked off or not nicked off, but given out. Given out LBW when we are not LBW. Myself and Swanny (Graeme Swann) have had long careers, we have played the game for 20 odd years. When you see stuff like what we saw in the last half an hour, it is not good for the game of cricket. I do not know who they think they are, that was a huge huge mistake,” he further added.
Pietersen also took a dim view of DC assistant coach Pravin Amre entering the field of play to speak to the umpires.
“The biggest mistake is the coach running onto the field to talk to the umpire. I mean, I just do not understand the coach. He is a senior figure in that room, Rishabh Pant was calling them off, the guy wanted to walk off. For me, that was unacceptable and I hope I never ever see that in the game of cricket. That is not why we play cricket and that is not how you are supposed to play cricket,” said Pietersen.
