Bengaluru: IPL was plunged into a fresh controversy after umpire S Ravi made a game-changing error on the final ball of the RCB vs MI IPL 2019 match at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium on Thursday night. With Royal Challengers Bangalore needing seven runs to win off the last ball, Lasith Malinga overstepped big-time but the umpire failed to notice the no-ball. Shivam Dube could only manage a single as Mumbai Indians registered a six-run win for their first victory of IPL 2019. Had the umpire called the no-ball, things could have been very different for Royal Challengers Bangalore, who have lost their opening two IPL 2019 matches so far.
RCB captain Virat Kohli was left fuming by the huge error and made his feelings known in the post-match presentation ceremony.
“We are playing at the IPL level. We are not playing club cricket. That is just a ridiculous call – last ball. The umpires should have their eyes open. It was a no-ball by an inch. It’s completely different game altogether. If it is a game of margins, I don’t know what is happening. They should have been more sharp and careful out there,” said an angry Kohli.
Things could have been very different, had the umpire noticed the no-ball. Shivam Dube hit the ball to long-on,but decided against taking the single with the match lost.
If a single had been taken and no-ball called, RCB would have needed to score five runs off the final ball, which would have been a free-hit and the man who would have taken strike would have been AB de Villiers, who was batting on 71 off 41 balls.
Instead the hero of the day was Jasprit Bumrah, who’s mastery at the death single-handedly won the game for Mumbai Indians.
The right-handed pacer bowled impeccable 17th and 19th overs with the marauding AB de Villiers also unable to get a handle on Bumrah’s deliveries.
