In an unusual turn of events during match number 4 of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) between Dindigul Dragons and Ba11sy Trichy, both teams found themselves utilizing the Decision Review System (DRS) for a potential dismissal.
This incident involved Ravichandran Ashwin, the experienced Indian off-spinner and captain of the Dindigul team, who was bowling at the time of the double review.
The incident occurred on the last ball of the 13th over. Ashwin delivered a full-length ball as Rajkumar, the batsman from Trichy, attempted to hit it over long off. Unfortunately, Rajkumar failed to make a connection, resulting in Dindigul wicketkeeper Baba Indrajith taking a sharp catch and appealing for a caught-behind decision.
The umpire initially gave Rajkumar out and raised his finger, but Rajkumar immediately decided to challenge the decision by referring it to the TV umpire. The subsequent replays displayed a visible gap between the bat and the ball, while the snickometer indicated spikes when the bat made contact with the ground. Based on this evidence, the TV umpire ruled it as not out and requested the on-field umpire to reverse his decision.
However, the situation took a dramatic turn when an dissatisfied Ashwin, visibly unhappy with the outcome, called for a DRS review, seeking to challenge the reviewed decision.
The veteran off-spinner expressed his discontent and engaged in a heated argument with the on-field umpires. Meanwhile, the TV umpire re-examined the TV replays and clarified that the spikes observed were a result of the bat striking the ground rather than making contact with the ball.
2 reviews in one ball, one by batter and one by bowler (Ashwin).
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) June 14, 2023
Rarest of incident in world cricket. pic.twitter.com/jB1zZ9qcmw
Following the dramatic turn of events, Rajkumar managed to survive the dismissal and went on to score a quickfire 39 runs off 22 balls, including a boundary and four sixes. However, his innings came to an end in the 18th over when he was dismissed by Suboth Bhati.
Meanwhile, captain Ganga Sridhar Raju contributed the highest score for the Tricky team, with a well-played 48 runs off 41 deliveries. With their collective efforts, Tricky set a target of 121 runs for the team led by Ashwin, which they chased down in 14.5 overs, getting their first win in TNPL 2023.
In the bowling department, Varun Chakravarthy stood out as the standout performer for the Dindigul Dragons, taking three wickets for 21 runs in his four overs. With the bat, Shivam Singh scored 46 runs and was well assisted by Baba Indrajith, Adithya Ganesh and Suboth Bhati.
