IPL 2022: Kevin Pietersen Slams Rishabh Pant, Pravin Amre Over ‘No-ball’ Controversy - Who Do They Think They Are?

Former England skipper Kevin Pietersen attacked Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant and assistant coach Pravin Amre for making ready revolting scenes for a no-ball that was not given during a strained last-over finish against Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday.

Kevin Pietersen got down on the activities of Pant and Amre as the skipper and support staff individuals called the two players out in the center before Amre raged onto the pitch to fight the on-field umpire’s call.

DC Captain Rishabh Pant Gets Annoyed

In a new development that stunned many watching Match 33 of IPL 2022, the Delhi Capitals dug-out made chaos over a no-ball that was not given by on-field umpires Nitin Menon and Nikhil Patwardhan in the last over of a throbbing game.

Requiring 36 runs in the last over to pull off a dazzling pursuit of 223, Delhi Capitals hitter Rovman Powell hit Rajasthan Royals pacer, Obed McCoy, for 3 successive sixes. Nonetheless, the third six fell off a ball that seemed like a possible waist-high no-ball.

Just in the wake of sending the ball into the stands, Powell motioned to the umpire to check for a waist-high no-ball. Indeed, even Rishabh Pant, David Warner, and Shane Watson from the dugout were confused at the call and flagged a no-ball. Nonetheless, the on-field umpires remained by their choice and didn’t counsel the third umpire.

An annoyed Rishabh Pant marked Powell and Kuldeep Yadav – the two players – to make way to the dugout until the right call was made. Emotions raged up as Jos Buttler, who was fielding close to the rope, traded words with Pant before Pravin Amre raged onto the pitch.

I Don’t Think That Would Have Happened If Ricky Ponting Was There: Kevin Pietersen

The appalling scenes unfurled even as Delhi were without their lead coach Ricky Ponting, who went into isolation after one of his relatives turned out to be Covid-19 positive.

“It may have disrupted his concentration. It may have disrupted how Rishabh Pant was thinking about the game. That’s more concerning to me than the umpire call, the behavior of Delhi,” Pietersen told Star Sports.

“I don’t think that would have happened if Ricky Ponting was there. I think Jos Buttler had every right to walk up to Rishabh Pant and say ‘what on earth are you doing?’ to send one of their coaches onto the field and think that was the correct behavior?

“We play the gentleman’s game. People make mistakes. How many times have we nicked off or not nicked off and been given out? Been given out LBW when we were not out? Myself and Swanny have played the great game for 20 odd years. And you see stuff like we have seen in the last 30 minutes, it’s not good for the game of cricket. It’s not good at all.

“I don’t know who they think they are but that was a mistake, that was a huge, huge mistake.

“The biggest mistake is the coach running onto the field and talking to the umpire. I just do not understand the coach, he is a senior figure in those rooms. Rishabh Pant was calling them off. They wanted to walk off. For me, that was unacceptable and I hope I never ever see that again in the game of cricket because that’s not why we play cricket and not how we play cricket,” he added.

At last, the on-field umpire’s call stood and Delhi Capitals proceeded to lose the match by 15 runs as the break in play impacted Rovman Powell’s force.

Prior to the day, Jos Buttler hit his third hundred of IPL 2022 to assist Rajasthan with posting 222 – the most elevated complete of IPL 2022. Devdutt Padikkal, who opened with Buttler, hit a quickfire fifty following which Rajasthan skipper Sanju Samson sent the Delhi bowlers to the cleaners for his 19-ball 46 not out.

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