IPL 2024: Samson cries foul

Fielders from around the world have mastered the art of finding their balance and executing the best catches while teetering on the edge of the boundary rope.

However, Shai Hope's remarkable juggling act at long-on, witnessed during Rajasthan Royals' encounter against Delhi Capitals on Tuesday night, sent shockwaves through the cricketing fraternity.

Controversy ensued when Royals skipper Sanju Samson dispatched right-arm seamer Mukesh Kumar's delivery to the boundary, only to have his hopes dashed by Hope's agile hands. And this is where the controversy begins.

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In a fraction of a second, anticipation hung thick in the air as DC's Shai Hope leaped towards the fence, his outstretched hands attempting to snare the impending missile.

As the ball made its descent towards Hope's eager palms, Samson, having seemingly resigned to his fate, commenced his departure from the pitch, acknowledging the inevitability of the catch. However, amidst the palpable tension, the on-field umpires swiftly sought recourse to the technology at their disposal, opting to refer the decision upstairs to ascertain the veracity of Hope's claim.

As the replays unfolded, a collective gasp echoed through the stands, accompanied by an eruption of fervent chatter. All eyes fixated on the screen, scrutinising every minute detail, dissecting the sequence of events with a discerning gaze. Yet, despite the palpable tension permeating the atmosphere, the third umpire rendered a decisive verdict, as Samson, the lynchpin of the Royals' batting lineup, was deemed out.

Samson, visibly perturbed by the turn of events, approached the on-field umpire, his countenance etched with a palpable sense of incredulity. A fleeting exchange ensued, a poignant testament to the inherent volatility of the game, before Samson, resigned to his fate, trudged off the field in a cloud of disappointment.

Several fans argued that Hope's foot appeared to have grazed the boundary cushion as a ripple of disbelief pierced through the crowd and prevented Royals from ascending to the summit of the points table.

"The game changed at the dismissal of Sanju Samson. If we look at the replay from side-on, the foot touches the boundary twice and it's very clear," Navjot Singh Sidhu remarked.

"So the foot touches the boundary line twice and after that, if someone says it's out, the fans and a neutral person like me, then I would say now that you have shown it to me, now you're saying ‘doodh mein makkhi padi hui hai aur tum mujjhe keh rahe ho ki piyo, main nahi piyunga' (There is a fly in the milk and you are telling me to drink it, but I will not drink it) It's not out. Whatever the rule may be, but you can see it clearly, some evidence are very strong to disbelieve. They are very conclusive. It's like finding a trout in a glass of milk. Then whatever happened there, the umpire didn't do it deliberately. No one is at fault. It happens. It's a part of the game. But the game changed here."

Sidhu was not alone among the voices that thundered in disapproval, with one user even suggesting that the BCCI should do away with such umpiring standards ‘because they are playing with the image of the league'.

Throughout the season, the standards of umpiring had been a topic of fervent discussion, with pundits and fans alike lamenting the perceived inconsistency and fallibility of the officiating cadre. From contentious wides to contentious run-outs, the IPL has been punctuated by a litany of dramatic calls, each imbued with the potential to sway the course of a match as it did on Tuesday.