It was not a pleasant sight. After given out LBW during their final league match of IPL 2022 against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Mumbai on Thursday, Gujarat Titans' Matthew Wade displayed his displeasure by throwing his helmet and slamming the bat in the dressing room.
In the 6th over, Matthew Wade attempted a sweep off the second ball, but he was adjudged trapped in front by the on field umpire despite an apparent deflection off the bat. A flabbergasted Wade challenged the call immediately, but the UltraEdge showed no spike thus ending the Aussie wicketkeeper-batter's 13-ball stay in the middle.
A livid Wade walked off and this happened at the Wankhede Stadium dressing room:
After the match, Gujarat Titans captain Hardik Pandya said that "it was a slight… on Ultra Edge it was there, right?"
"I don't know from the big screen it was not (clearly) visible. You can't fault (anyone). If the technology is not helping, I don't know who's going to help. Obviously, it is nothing personal from anybody. Most of the time it works and most of the time the right decision is taken."
Later, the IPL released a statement saying Matthew Wade has been reprimanded for breaching the code of conduct.
"Mr. Wade admitted to the Level 1 offence under Article 2.5 of the IPL Code of Conduct and accepted the sanction," the IPL said in a statement. "For Level 1 breaches of the Code of Conduct, the match referee’s decision is final and binding."
Titans, batting first, managed only 168/5 despite Hardik Pandya's unbeaten 62 off 47. And it proved not enough against a Virat Kohli-inspired RCB. The former RCB captain hit his second fifty (73 off 54) of IPL 2022, and with skipper Faf du Plessis (44 off 38), he set the foundation.
Glenn Maxwell, who had claimed the wicket of Matthew Wade earlier in the match, hit an unbeaten 40 off just 18 to seal the win.
The win helped RCB remain in contention for an IPL 2022 playoff spot. They are currently fourth with 16 points from 14 matches (eight wins and six defeats). They are one of the three teams fighting for the remaining two playoff spots.
Gujarat Titans became the first team to qualify for the playoffs, and they finished the league engagements with 20 points from 10 wins. Fellow debutants Lucknow Super Giants are the second team to confirm a top-four finish. KL Rahul & Co. have 18 points (nine wins), and are currently second.
But Rajasthan Royals can go second with a win against Chennai Super Kings on May 20. Sanju Samson & Co. have 14 points, and a win over MS Dhoni's CSK will take them above LSG, thanks to their superior net run rate.
Only Delhi Capitals, who will take on Mumbai Indians in the penultimate league match on May 21, can over overtake RCB in the points table.
