IPL 13: KXIP reports umpiring howler they suffered against DC to match referee

By Nitin Srivastava
Dubai [UAE], September 21 (ANI): Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) has reported the umpiring howler they had to endure against Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) match on Sunday, sources within the Punjab franchise confirmed.
The side has reported the wrong call they suffered due to an error in judgment by on-field umpire Nitin Menon and now the matter would be addressed by match referee Javagal Srinath.
“The umpire’s verdict was shocking and this call cost us the game, we have now reported the matter to the match referee for assessment. We will see what referee’s decision is,” sources within KXIP told ANI on Monday.
Earlier today, it was confirmed that KXIP skipper KL Rahul has the right to bring Menon’s umpiring error to the notice of the match referee. Once the matter reaches the match referee, IPL Governing Council (GC) will then take a call on the howler that saw KXIP lose their opening game against Delhi Capitals at the Dubai Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
Speaking to ANI, an IPL GC official said that the Punjab franchise has the right to report the matter and it will then be taken up for assessment. He went on to add that such mistakes are definitely “not a good advertisement” for the game.
“The process is that the team reports the matter through the captain and team manager. After that, we assess it as the governing council. The match referee also puts in his report wherein he can mention the same,” the official said.
“Whether this would have changed what happened is difficult to say as the strike would have changed and Mayank was hitting the ball sublimely and the change of strike could have thrown that out of gear.”
The incident took place in the 19th over of KXIP’s chase when Agarwal played a shot and took two runs. However, on-field umpire Menon deemed it as a single.
Both teams scored 157 runs in the allotted 20 overs and Delhi Capitals won the match in the Super Over.
Former cricketer Virender Sehwag, who himself has represented KXIP in the league, said the umpire’s call made the difference in the match and he should be ‘Man of the Match’.
“I don’t agree with the man of the match choice. The umpire who gave this short run should have been the man of the match. Short Run nahin tha. And that was the difference. #DCvKXIP,” Sehwag wrote on Twitter. (ANI)