Ravichandran Ashwin’s return to MA Chidambaram Stadium was nothing less than spectacular. The Rajasthan Royals (RR) veteran spinner played a crucial role in his team’s victory over the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He took two wickets and scored 30 runs, making him an essential player in his team’s triumph.
During the post-match conference, Ashwin gave an intriguing statement expressing his surprise at some of the umpiring decisions in the ongoing IPL 2023 season. He was “flummoxed” by some of the calls made by the umpires, stating that there should be consistency going forward.
The on-field umpires decided to change the ball during the run chase because of the considerable amount of dew at the Chennai stadium. The decision seemed to have worked in favour of the Royals as the spin trio of Ashwin, Adam Zampa, and Yuzvendra Chahal claimed five wickets between themselves to dent CSK’s chase. Ashwin highlighted this point during the press conference, stating that part of their success was due to the decision to change the ball because of the dew factor.
However, Ashwin also expressed his surprise at the umpires changing the ball for dew on their own. According to him, this has never happened before, and he hopes that there will be consistency going forward. “It’s because I think what you need is a little bit of balance,” he added.
Ashwin clarified that as a bowling team, they were not asking for the ball to be changed. The umpire changed it on his own accord, and Ashwin hopes that every time there is dew, the ball can be changed. He emphasised that going forward, there should be a standard that umpires follow.
The thrilling match ended with the Royals winning as Sandeep Sharma displayed his class on the final ball to restrict MS Dhoni from scoring big. Royals headed back home with two crucial points and will play Gujarat Titans in their next outing on Sunday, April 16.
Overall, Ashwin’s statement highlights the importance of consistency and balance in umpiring decisions. With the IPL being such a significant event in the cricketing world, it is crucial to maintain high standards for the benefit of all teams.
