The match between SunRisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals IPL 2024 witnessed a controversial moment as former batsman Travis Head was given a reprieve for a stupid call. It happened in the 15th over when Avesh Khan bowled to Head. Against a full throw from outside, Head shuffled across and chased the ball. He lost his balance. Samson threw the ball towards the stumps. Replays showed it to be ambiguous, although TV referee Rohan Pandit did not make this public. RR Director of Cricket Kumar Sangakkara was involved in an animated discussion after the decision was made.
Irfan Pathan called the decision “terrible”. “Another terrible decision by the umpire. Two frames left to see. Head's bat was in the air,” he wrote on x.
Nitish Reddy and Travis Head produced explosive fifties to take Sunrisers Hyderabad to a competitive 201 for three against Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League here on Thursday.
Another terrible decision from their referee. Two more frames were visible. Head's bat hung in the air.
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) May 2, 2024
It didn't matter in the end #SRHvRR #TATAIPL #IPLonJioCinema pic.twitter.com/qdui7WrAVu
— JioCinema (@JioCinema) May 2, 2024
SRH opener Head opted to bat and made full use of an early reprieve by smashing his fourth fifty of the season with a 44-ball 58, while Nitish (76 not out in 42 balls) hit his second half-century en route to a 96 ball. run stand-off 57 balls for the third wicket.
Nitish and Heinrich Klassen (42 not out off 19) added another 70 off 32 balls to take SRH over 200 for the fifth time this season.
Head, who was dropped by Riyan Parag in the first ball of the innings, hit six fours and three sixes while Nitish hit eight maximums and three fours during his brutal attack.
Playing his 300th match, Yuzvendra Chahal, who has been picked for the T20 World Cup, was in the line of fire when he was run out by the two batters, conceding 62 in his quota of four overs.
Avesh Khan (2/39) provided the first breakthrough, catching Abhishek Sharma (12) at deep midwicket. Sandeep Sharma (1/31) then claimed a first-ball wicket, removing Anmolpreet Singh (5) as SRH scored 37 for 2 in the powerplay, their lowest this IPL.
However, the spin duo of Chahal and R Ashwin (0/36) disappointed as the batters milked them for runs to put SRH on the road to recovery.
Chahal had a terrible night when Head hit him with two sixes and a four during an 18-run over after he went to bowl immediately after the powerplay.
The leg-spinner was then taken apart by Nitish Reddy, who plundered him for two sixes and two fours to amass 21 runs as SRH reached 113 for 2 in 13 overs.
Nitish, who also smashed Ashwin and Avesh for two maximums, then sent Sandeep over extra cover, while Head roped Avesh for another six in the 15th.
However, the Australian played the pacer at his middle stump as SRH slumped to 131/3.
Nitish then completed his fifty in 30 balls with a single and immediately launched Ashwin for consecutive maximums.
New man Klassen then joined the party and sent Chahal into the court with back-to-back sixes. When Boult returned, Klassen picked him for two fours while firing another six to Sandeep.
With PTI inputs
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