Former England cricketer Paul Collingwood expressed his opinion that his friend Michael Gough, who was the third umpire during the IPL 2024 match between DC and RR in New Delhi could have taken more time and examined additional camera angles before deciding to dismiss Sanju Samson.
Gough ruled Samson out after reviewing replays of a catch taken by Shai Hope along the boundary during the 16th over of Rajasthan’s chase at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
After the decision of Gough, the game moved in favor of Delhi Capitals as Sanju Samson returned to the pavilion after scoring 86 off 46 balls. After Samson’s exit, Rajasthan’s batting lineup crumbled, declining from 162 for 3 to 201 for 8 by the end of their 20 overs, and eventually Delhi Capitals won the match by 20 runs.
During the 16th over, bowled by Mukesh Kumar, Samson aimed to clear the long-on boundary with a length ball but couldn’t evade Shai Hope’s catch, stationed near the boundary. Hope’s exceptional fielding prevented a six and then he claimed it as a catch which was not clear to the umpires.
The on-field umpires were unsure if the catch was taken cleanly, prompting them to seek assistance from the third umpire, Michael Gough. Gough quickly ruled it out after reviewing just one angle of the replay. When the decision appeared as “OUT” on the big screen, Samson expressed surprise and discussed the decision with the on-field umpires.
RR head coach Kumar Sangakkara seemed dissatisfied with Gough’s decision, as the replay angle examined by the third umpire didn’t clearly show whether Hope caught the ball without any contact with the boundary rope.
