The thirteenth version of the Indian Premier League (IPL) had its first brush with debate in quite a while the second match after a hostile umpiring call made by Nitin Menon denied Kings XI Punjab a game-changing run, and most likely a success, during their higgledy-piggledy pursue against Delhi Capitals in Dubai on Sunday evening.
In the third ball of the penultimate over during Kings XI Punjab's pursuit, square-leg umpire Menon called Chris Jordan for a 'short run'. TV replays, notwithstanding, proposed that Jordan's bat was well inside the crease at the hour of finishing his first run.
Following Sunday’s game, former Australian all-rounder Tom Moody noted that rules of the game need to be changed so that the technology is utilized completely. He said, “Unfortunately things like that are not thought through until it happens. Without a doubt, the third umpire should have made a ruling but what the rule says is that they need to declare that it is part of the rules prior to the start of the tournament”
“It clearly isn’t part of the rules. Yes, no balls go upstairs and the third umpire is in charge of that, the run-outs and stumpings but they haven’t declared that any other incident like that the third umpire can overrule an on-field umpire so until that happens we are not going to have the full engagement of the technology that is available,”
Cricket commentator Harsh Bhogle in a tweet said, “As things stand, the 3rd umpire cannot over-rule the on-ground umpire. But in course of time, I see every line call being adjudicated off-ground with a trained replay editor, not only the 3rd umpire, watching the output of all the line cameras,”