Was Rohit Sharma wrongfully adjudged out? MI skipper's dismissal triggers heated debate

Mumbai Indians (MI) locked horns against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Match No. 56 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Monday. The game, which was played at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, was marred by controversy after Rohit Sharma was given out following a contentious decision by the third umpire. The incident took place in the very first over of the Mumbai Indians' chase. 

Tim Southee produced a back-of-the-length delivery to Rohit, who took a step back to defend, but the ball brushed his thigh pads and went straight to the wicket-keeper, Sheldon Jackson's gloves. It was ruled not out by the on-field umpire. Jackson convinced his captain, Shreyas Iyer to go upstairs and verify if the ball had nicked Rohit's bat. The review revealed enormous spikes as the ball passed Rohit's bat, following which the third umpire requested his on-field colleague to overturn his decision and indicate out.

Everyone was taken aback by the incident, including Rohit, who stood his ground for a few moments before returning to the dugout. Many people thought there was a huge gap between the ball and Rohit's bat, and that the Mumbai Indians captain should not have been dismissed. Mahela Jayawardene, the head coach of the Mumbai Indians, and owner Akash Ambani were also seen expressing their displeasure with the decision.

KKR vs MI

Mumbai Indians were defeated by Kolkata Knight Riders by a big 52-run margin. The Rohit Sharma-led team won the toss and opted to field first. The Knight Riders batted first and scored 165/9 in 20 overs, thanks to two 40-plus knocks from Venkatesh Iyer and Nitish Rana. Ajinkya Rahane and Rinku Singh also contributed to the team's total before Bumrah dismantled KKR's batting line-up with his fiery spell. KKR had four of their last five batsmen removed for ducks towards the backend of their innings.

Bumrah picked up a five-wicket haul in the game as he registered a bowling figure of 5-10 in four overs. Kumar Kartikeya also produced a good bowling performance, taking two wickets for 32 runs in three overs. Murugan Ashwin and Daniel Sams each took one wicket. In response, KKR bowled Mumbai out for just 113 runs. Mumbai's top order succumbed to a blazing spell from Tim Southee and Andre Russell in the powerplay, resulting in yet another collapse. Ishan Kishan was Mumbai's only batter to score more than 20 runs, scoring 51 off 43 balls. Despite the fact that he lost the game, Bumrah was awarded player of the match.

Image: Twitter/@SlipDiving