NEW DELHI: The opening weekend of the new IPL season didn’t take long to deliver its first flashpoint, with a contentious boundary call overshadowing an otherwise dominant win for Royal Challengers Bengaluru at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on Saturday.
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The incident unfolded in the 14th over of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s innings when Heinrich Klaasen attempted a pull off a short delivery from Romario Shepherd. The ball soared towards deep mid-wicket where Phil Salt settled under it near the boundary cushions.
While Salt completed the catch, replays raised doubts about whether his foot had brushed the boundary sponge. The third umpire, Rohan Pandit, examined limited angles and noted no visible movement of the cushions before ruling Klaasen out.
However, subsequent visuals hinted at slight movement in a cushion bearing the ‘Kingfisher’ logo, intensifying the debate. The controversy deepened when a top-angle replay emerged after the broadcast break, prompting widespread scrutiny.
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Former England captain Michael Vaughan questioned the decision publicly: “Looked to me like the foot had touched the boundary sponge… that’s a big call… Not sure how you can give that out and be absolutely sure no part of the foot touched the sponge.”
The dismissal proved pivotal, halting SRH’s momentum despite a strong partnership between Heinrich Klaasen and stand-in skipper Ishan Kishan. Klaasen was seen in an animated exchange with on-field officials near the boundary as the third umpire reviewed the replays.
Kohli powers RCB to win after emotional tribute
Amid the controversy, Royal Challengers Bengaluru delivered a commanding performance to chase down 202 in just 15.4 overs, powered by a vintage knock from Virat Kohli.
Kohli remained unbeaten on 69 off 38 balls, striking five fours and five sixes, including a towering straight hit that electrified the Bengaluru crowd.
Earlier, Sunrisers Hyderabad posted 201/9, with Kishan leading the charge with a fluent 80. Debutant Jacob Duffy impressed for RCB with figures of 3/22, removing key top-order batters.
Impact substitute Devdutt Padikkal then turned the chase on its head with a blistering 61 off 26 balls, adding 101 runs with Kohli.
The match also carried emotional weight, with players observing a minute’s silence and wearing black armbands in memory of 11 fans who died in a stampede during last year’s celebrations.
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