The spotlight fell on a controversial moment that saw Riyan Parag argue with the umpire following his dismissal during a match against the Gujarat Titans. The drama unfolded in the 7th over of Rajasthan Royals innings when Gujarat pacer Kulwant Khejroliya delivered a ball from over the wicket, pitching it well outside the off-stump.
Parag got it outside off-stump and missed going after it or at least, so he thought. Safe in the gloves of wicketkeeper, Jos Buttler, came the sound of the wood. But, surprising Parag, the finger of the umpire went up. Out! Not happy with the call, Parag immediately called for DRS. As per the replay, it showed a big spike on the UltraEdge when it went past his bat. But here is the twist; at that exact moment, his bat also hit the ground. So, was it the sound from the bat that made contact with the ball, or was it that of the ground? That became the big question. There was no ambiguity on this, and the third umpire sided with the on-field call, giving Parag out. And that was the point when it got a little hot.
Parag was not happy with the decision. He stayed back on the ground and had an oval lot of intense speech with the umpire, apparently, and looked getting a long face over it. The look on his face says it all as it was indeed a big match and each wicket was.
Some fans supported Parag saying he had every right to be furious over such a close and unclear decision, while the others believed that umpires’ decisions should always remain respected and players should control their emotions better on the field.
This very incident shows how emotional and passionate players can get especially in a high-stakes tournament, such as IPL. Every run and every wicket is important, hence tempers tend to fray. However, we all wish things could be less emotional.
Riyan Parag’s outburst may have the sparking point of debate but also shows how deeply players are attached to their sport. Whether the decision was rightly called or not, one thing is for sure the IPL will continue to provide such moments, bringing fans close to the edge of their seats.
