MI lost that match by 3 wickets.
Legendary India batter Sunil Gavaskar has voiced his protest regarding the over-rate penalty clause of the Indian Premier League (IPL). He explained how the clash between the five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians (MI) and the 2022 title-winners Gujarat Titans (GT) was all set for a nail-biting finish. However, the match got delayed twice at the Wankhede Stadium due to the sudden Mumbai rain.
When it resumed for the second time, GT needed 15 runs off an over to win the match and the umpires handed MI a penalty for maintaining a slow over-rate. This forced Hardik Pandya and Co. to keep only four players outside the 30-yard circle.
“The Mumbai Indians vs Gujarat Titans game was a thriller, with the current toppers of the league snatching a win off the last ball of the match. While the rains had halted the proceedings, conflicting reports were coming in on the last time for the fixture to be called off. Finally, when play resumed just before 12:30 in the morning with just one out of the two overs remaining to be bowled, Mumbai Indians, who were a bit tardy in bowling their overs, were also penalised with one less fielder beyond the 30-metre circle,” Gavaskar wrote in his Sportstar column.
While the former player has mentioned the significance of this rule, he also demanded a specific tweak in it to better establish the balance between the two teams. He believes that MI would have made up for their previous delay if the match didn’t face an interruption due to the rain. According to Gavaskar, adjudging a penalty for the uncontrollable was an unfair gesture towards the franchise.
“That was a bit harsh, for if the game had not been interrupted by rain, they could have made up time in the 19th over and so had all five fielders outside the circle for the final over. This penalty clause is very good, but perhaps needs a tweak in case a similar interruption happens. For example, if a team is a minute or so behind the required time and there are still six overs remaining, then the rains come in, play might restart with just one over left,” he added.
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Moreover, he emphasized how these small cricketing rules affect the points table standings. MI might have defended the total with five fielders outside the circle, which could have made the playoffs race a bit easier for them. However, he has called for a solution or to make the clause a bit more flexible to ensure fairness in the upcoming matches.
“This happened in the Mumbai vs Gujarat game. The penalty of having one less fielder is a stiff punishment in such cases. The bowling team had ample overs to make up for being a minute or so short of the required time. This penalty can make the difference between winning and losing. Hopefully, better cricketing minds than mine will come up with a solution or a reason to continue with the current penalty clause,” stated Gavaskar.
Pandya and Co. are currently placed fourth in the points table, with seven wins in 12 matches. They are set to face the third-placed Punjab Kings (PBKS), followed by tonight’s clash against the Delhi Capitals (DC).
Rain could affect MI’s playoff hopes once again due to the severe downpour in Mumbai. If their match against DC gets washed out, MI will need to beat PBKS to qualify for the IPL 2025 playoffs.
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