The pressure was definitely on for the Delhi Capitals (DC) after a stunning show by Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 encounter on March 28. Things weren't going their way, and the tension was palpable in the Delhi dugout. Meanwhile, DC's head coach Ricky Ponting and director of cricket Sourav Ganguly were seen having a lengthy and animated discussion with the fourth umpire.
The source of their frustration seemed to be a fielding substitution by the Rajasthan Royals. In the very first over of the second innings, Ponting was seen passionately arguing with the umpire. Rovman Powell was on the field as a substitute fielder, despite Nandre Burger being named as the designated impact player replacing Shimron Hetmyer. This unexpected change had Ponting and Ganguly questioning the legality of the move, setting the stage for a potentially explosive encounter.
ALSO READ: Big News: Rajasthan Royals bring South Africa superstar as Prasidh Krishna's replacement amid IPL 2024's match against DC
ALSO READ: Big News: KKR announce 16-yr-old as replacement for Mujeeb Ur Rehman ahead of IPL 2024 clash against Virat Kohli-starrer RCB
How the drama unfolded?
While tempers flared in the Delhi Capitals dugout, it appears Ricky Ponting and Sourav Ganguly might have misinterpreted the impact player rule. Their concern seemed to be that Rovman Powell's entry as a substitute fielder violated the four-foreigner rule. However, the key detail they might have missed is that Shimron Hetmyer, the player Powell replaced, had already been substituted out for Nandre Burger earlier. With Hetmyer no longer on the field, Powell's inclusion wouldn't have broken the foreign player limit. This suggests a misunderstanding of the rule by the DC staff, which led to the heated discussion with the umpire.
Talking about the match, RR rode on Riyan Parag's stunning knock of 84 runs to post a challenging target of 186. RR overcame a sluggish start to post a competitive total of 185/5 against DC. The credit for this turnaround goes largely to Riyan Parag, who smashed an unbeaten 84 runs off just 45 deliveries riding on six sixes and seven fours. Early on, RR struggled in the Powerplay, scoring only 31 runs and losing two wickets. However, Parag steadied RR boat and played a magnificent knock, guiding RR to a strong total. Notably, he finished the innings in style, collecting a whopping 25 runs from the final over bowled by Anrich Nortje.
Meanwhile, while chasing 186, DC were restricted to 173/5 to suffer their second defeat on the trot.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK:
