Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: The IPL 2026 clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium delivered plenty of excitement, but also controversy, as Gujarat Titans edged out a four-wicket win. The biggest talking point of the night was Rajat Patidar’s dismissal, caught by Jason Holder, which left the RCB camp fuming.What exactly happened?In the eighth over, Patidar, batting on 19, attempted a pull shot off Arshad Khan. Holder reacted quickly, diving forward to complete a low catch, while Kagiso Rabada was also closing in on the ball, nearly resulting in a collision between the two fielders.Replays of the incident appeared inconclusive on whether the ball had touched the ground.Despite the uncertainty, the third umpire upheld the on-field decision after review, and Patidar was given out.The decision left the RCB camp visibly unhappy at a crucial stage of the match.Not just the players, Virat Kohli and coach Andy Flower were also seen visibly frustrated, engaging in conversations with the umpires.What does the law say?The Laws of Cricket state that a catch is only complete when a fielder has full control over both the ball and their movement, meaning the ball must not touch the ground while the fielder is still sliding or gaining control.Law 33.3 states: “A catch is only completed when the fielder has ‘complete control over the ball and his/her movement’. The ball cannot touch the ground before then.”Meanwhile, Law 33.2.2 adds that a catch is fair if “the ball is held in the hand or hands of a fielder, even if the hand holding the ball is touching the ground, or is hugged to the body, or lodges in the external protective equipment worn by a fielder, or lodges accidentally in a fielder’s clothing.”Why was Patidar declared out?After reviewing the replay, the third umpire concluded that part of Holder’s hand was keeping the ball off the ground, even though it could not be seen clearly.With fans heavily criticising the decision on social media, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin explained why the catch was ultimately considered fair and why the umpire’s call stood.“Jason Holder’s hands is twice as big as mine. In his hands, the ball almost disappears. So, even if you guys can see the ball through the gap in his fingers, that does not mean that the ball has hit the floor. He has probably wrapped it around. The ball, perhaps, did not touch the ground,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel about the catch.
