In a remarkable incident during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final held on Sunday between Madhya Pradesh and Mumbai, MP captain Rajat Patidar found himself at the centre of an unusual controversy. The experienced middle-order batsman, renowned for his aggressive style of play, refused to vacate the field following a surprising ruling from the third umpire.

The event unfolded in the closing moments of the first innings, as Mumbai's pacer Shardul Thakur delivered the final ball of Madhya Pradesh's innings. Thakur's slower delivery, which was bowled wide of the off-stump, eluded Patidar, who attempted to nudge it by shifting across. Initially, the on-field umpire deemed it a wide ball; however, after a review, the TV umpire, KN Ananthapadmanabhan, reversed this decision.

He determined that Patidar had moved too far across the crease, leading a frustrated Patidar to request a reevaluation of the call. The ball had indeed pitched outside the popping crease, which encouraged Patidar to remain steadfast.

"Extremely sorry, the ball had pitched outside the popping crease. I did not see that" Ananthapadmanabhan was heard stating during the official broadcast that he amended his ruling, thereby granting Patidar and his team an additional chance to complete the over.

This decision provided Patidar with one more delivery, which he capitalized on impressively. The Madhya Pradesh captain launched Thakur’s full toss over the boundary for an impressive six, concluding a rapid innings of 81 runs off just 40 balls, featuring six sixes.

The incident sparked a flurry of reactions online, with one fan questioning whether it was ‘a joke’ and others criticizing the umpiring standards as ‘mediocre’.

Here are several responses.

Patidar played a crucial role in aiding Madhya Pradesh's recovery from a precarious situation, as the team found itself at 63/4 after 10 overs. His explosive innings, supported by the enthusiastic Bengaluru crowd who rallied behind him due to his affiliation with the Royal Challengers Bangalore, enabled Madhya Pradesh to conclude their innings at a commendable 174/8.

The pivotal moment came when he hit a six off the final ball, elevating his team to a competitive total that would challenge Mumbai in their pursuit.

Throughout the season, Patidar has demonstrated exceptional form, leading the run-scoring charts for Madhya Pradesh with a total of 428 runs across nine innings. His capacity for powerful hitting has been a hallmark of his performance, as evidenced by his 27 sixes in the tournament, placing him just behind Urvil Patel, who has achieved 29.

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