Star batter Virat Kohli has been fined 50 percent of his match fee for violating the IPL Code of Conduct during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s 1-run loss to Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday.
Kohli was sanctioned for his outburst against the on-field umpire after he was adjudged out on the first ball of the third over when he was caught by surprise by a full toss from Harshit Rana and ended up edging a simple return catch.
As the KKR team celebrated the prized scalp, Kohli went up to the umpire to review the call as he felt it was a waist-high no-ball. However, based on ball tracking technology, which this season also takes into account player heights, the third umpire reckoned that the ball would’ve dipped below the waist had Kohli been batting from his crease.
According to rule 41.7 of ICC regulations, any delivery, which passes or would have passed, without pitching, above waist height of the striker standing upright at the popping crease, is to be deemed to be unfair, whether or not it is likely to inflict physical injury on the striker. If the bowler bowls such a delivery the umpire shall immediately call and signal No ball.
The third umpire thus upheld the on-field decision, much to the annoyance of Kohli. On his way back to the dug-out, an infuriated Kohli was seen expressing his anger against the decision.
However, cricket experts are divided with their opinions regarding the issue with many including Mohammed Kai and cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, criticising the decision. Meanwhile retired bowlers Harbhajan Singh and Irfan Pathan, felt that the delivery was legal.
Talking on his official X handle, Kaif says, “Now Virat Kohli has been dismissed on a beamer, you can add this mode of dismissal too. To give Virat Kohli out on a beamer is a very bad decision because the ball on your waist height cannot be controlled, it’s not allowed. The ball accidentally slipped out of Harshit Rana’s hand, it became a waist-high full toss and should have been a no-ball. Rana should have apologized, saying sorry the ball slipped out of my hand, there Virat Kohli was given out, that’s a very bad decision because the trajectory doesn’t matter,” Kaif said.
“I understand that he was out of the crease but he played the ball on his waist, that cannot be controlled. The batsman always looks down where the ball is pitching, no one is ready for this kind of a delivery, so it was one of the worst decisions by the umpire to adjudge Virat Kohli out,” Kaif concluded.
Meanwhile, the one-run loss to KKR, left RCB reeling at the bottom of the IPL points tally, with just a solitary win from their eight outings so far, as they now head to Hyderabad to take on the resurgent Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday.