Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) batsman Ayush Badoni, 24, was controversially declared out by the third umpire in the 48th match of the Indian Premier League 2024 (IPL 2024) against Hardik Pandya-led Mumbai Indians (MI) on Tuesday , April 30, at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
Ayush Badoni came in at number 7 for Lucknow Super Giants after KL Rahul & Co. ran into minor trouble during the chase against Mumbai Indians.
No. 7 was the best batting position for Ayush Badoni as he was very successful there. The coaching staff and players of Lucknow Super Giants would have expected Ayush Badoni to finish the game for the team as the target was small and not too many runs were required when he walked to the middle.
The batsman also looked confident when he came to bat as he hit a brilliant four to put pressure on the Mumbai Indians bowlers. However, Ayush Badoni’s innings lasted just six balls as he was controversially declared run out by the third umpire.
On the first ball of the 19th over, Hardik Pandya bowled a short delivery outside off stump to Ayush Badoni and the LSG batsman played it towards deep cover point for a single. He ran back for the second time but the fielder fired a quick throw to Ishan Kishan who parried the ball in the second attempt.
It looked like Ayush Badoni had reached the crease before the bails were disturbed. However, the third umpire KN Ananthapadmanabhan, after watching the replays, concluded that Ayush Badoni did not have his racket on the ground at any point and despite being well inside the crease, he was declared out as his racket was in the air was. Ayush Badoni was unhappy after being sent off for 6 and there was a small moment of chaos in the LSG dugout with head coach Justin Langer and captain KL Rahul looking disappointed with the decision.
Irfan Pathan is furious over the referee’s terrible decision
Former Indian national cricket team all-rounder Irfan Pathan was furious with the third umpire’s decision, describing it as terrible on his official X-grip. “What a terrible decision by the third referee to end the game.” he explained.
What a terrible decision by the third referee to leave the game.
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) April 30, 2024
In the end, Lucknow Super Giants successfully pursued the target and won the game by 4 wickets. After the game, LSG head coach Justin Langer expressed his joy over the win against Mumbai Indians and revealed that they were bitterly disappointed after the defeat in the last game. Notably, the Lucknow Super Giants faced a 7-wicket hammering from the Rajasthan Royals, which enabled the Royals to post a comprehensive score of 197.
“That’s a smile, we were bitterly disappointed with our last game. So to be able to fight back against Mumbai Indians and get the points, that’s definitely a smile. What I’m learning in this competition is that every game is tough and every game is tough. “That’s why we’re excited to get the points,” he said.
While talking about the bowling performance of Lucknow Super Giants, Justin Langer said that they did an excellent job in the match. He stated:
“It was outstanding, I thought we covered all the bases. You’re always looking for wickets in the Powerplay took those early wickets and that set us up well.