The Virat Kohli no-ball debate has had the cricketing fraternity divided. The likes of Irfan Pathan, Aakash Chopra, Harshal Bhogle, etc. have sided with the umpire’s official call, which is to award the dismissal to Kolkata Knight Riders pacer Harshit Rana. However, there are those too like Navjot Singh Sidhu, who don’t feel the umpires made the right call in ruling the Royal Challengers Bengaluru stalwart out. In a lengthy video on social media, Sidhu tried to explain the factors that should be put into consideration before such decisions are made on the field by the umpires.
To begin with, Sidhu said that Kohli’s dismissal hasn’t just left him disappointed for a batter but also for RCB who could’ve emerged triumphant had the decision gone in the favour of the batting side.
“When you’ve made a rule by bringing a 6-inch height-based ideology, did you give the batter a 7-inch allowance? That is number one,” Sidhu said, making his first point.
In the second point, the former India all-rounder looked to explain how the umpires ‘legalised’ the use of beamers in the sport by calling Harshit Rana’s delivery to Virat Kohli ‘fair’.
“Number 2, the biggest point. You legalised a beamer. During my 30 years of playing and watching cricket, if a bowler missed a yorker and bowled a waist-high delivery, the batter would be left bamboozled and the bowler would apologise. If tomorrow a batter steps out and the ball is targetted on his head, won’t you even apologise for legalising a beamer?”, he asserted.
The law must change for the better …@imVkohli @IPL pic.twitter.com/cQIWaSxIfc
— Navjot Singh Sidhu (@sherryontopp) April 21, 2024
In his third and final point, Sidhu questioned the technology which suggested that the ball would’ve witnessed a massive dip by the time it would’ve reached the popping crease. Sidhu wasn’t in agreement with the trajectory shown on the screen.
“At the point of impact, at the point of impact, the ball is at least a foot and a half above the waist. And the batter is six inches outside the crease. Do you mean to say that the ball will dip 6 a foot and a half in the remaining six inches? Benefit of the doubt must go to the batter. Laws always change for the better. Laws are made to better the game. Change is not necessarily progress. This law needs to be carefully monitored, and amended. Kohli should have gotten the benefit of the doubt. He was not out,” he concluded.
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