'Reward third umpire' - R Ashwin's social media post leaves everyone confused after DC vs GT match
The umpires and their umpiring decisions have been a significant talking point in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. There needs to be more clarity with their judgements, and most of the time, the officials look clueless and confuse players and the audience simultaneously.
The decisions regarding wide balls have fetched ample traction, for different umpires have given different judgments in every other game. The rules regarding how wide line changes when a batter is standing on off stump or outside off stump have been ambiguous, and umpires seem to make decisions based on their gut feeling rather than what rules say.
For instance, MS Dhoni moved slightly towards the off stump, and the ball went just over the wide line, but the TV umpire adjudged it as an extra delivery, favouring Chennai Super Kings (CSK). But when Marcus Stoinis was standing almost on his normal stance, and the ball went way outside the wide line, it was ruled a fair delivery.
Similarly, a few catch decisions were shocking, including the one Noor Ahmad took in the outfield in the latest game. While smart replays were launched to save time and make more accurate decisions, the execution has been completely contrasting, and the errors have been more than acceptable.
Ravichandran Ashwin's social media post leaves everyone confused
Amidst all the controversies, Ravichandran Ashwin posted an interesting post on his X (formerly Twitter) account after the game between Delhi Capitals (DC) and Gujarat Titans (GT). Ashwin asked for an award for the third umpire, Akshay Totre, for his decisions in the game.
“Whoever the third umpire of this game #DCvsGT is, award him for top notch decision making”
Whoever the third umpire of this game #DCvsGT is, award him for top notch decision makingđź‘Źđź‘Ź
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) April 24, 2024
Ashwin’s post has left fans confused because the umpiring standards weren’t up to the mark in this clash, and umpires received heavy backlash throughout the course. One section thinks he tweeted it sarcastically to criticise the TV umpire, while the other section finds it a serious tweet and an appreciation for the official.
Regardless, the umpiring standards need to improve, for they have been at an all-time low this IPL edition. Every wrong decision can cost two crucial points, and no side wants to lag due to an error from umpires.
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