Rajat Patidar and Jason Holder (Image credit: X) NEW DELHI: The IPL 2026 clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium created a lot of excitement but also controversy as Gujarat Titans won by four wickets. The biggest talk of the night was Rajat Patidar’s dismissal caught by Jason Holder, which left the RCB camp fuming.what exactly happenedIn the eighth over, Patidar, batting on 19, tried to bowl off Arshad Khan. Holder reacted quickly, lunging forward to complete a low catch while Kagiso Rabada was also closing in on the ball, which almost led to a collision between the two fielders.
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RCB admit batting failure after narrow defeat | IPL 2026Records of the incident appeared inconclusive as to whether the ball touched the ground.Despite the uncertainty, the third umpire upheld the on-field decision after a review and Patidar was given out.The decision left the RCB camp visibly unhappy at a crucial stage of the match.Not just the players, Virat Kohli and coach Andy Flower were also seen visibly frustrated as they engaged in conversations with the umpires.What does the law say?The laws of cricket state that a catch is only complete when the fielder has full control of both the ball and its movement, meaning that the ball must not touch the ground while the fielder is still sliding or gaining control.Rule 33.3 states: “A catch is only complete when the fielder has ‘complete control of the ball and his/her movement’. The ball cannot touch the ground until then.”Meanwhile, Rule 33.2.2 adds that a catch is fair if “the ball is held in the fielder’s hand or hands, even if the hand holding the ball touches the ground or is hugged to the body, or becomes entangled in the fielder’s outer protective equipment or accidentally becomes entangled in the fielder’s clothing”.Why was Patidar declared out?After reviewing the tape, the third official concluded that part of Holder’s hand was holding the ball above the ground, even though it was not clearly visible.With fans heavily criticizing the decision on social media, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin explained why the catch was ultimately deemed fair and why the umpire’s call stood.“Jason Holder’s hands are twice as big as mine. The ball almost disappears in his hands. So even if you see the ball through the gap in his fingers, it doesn’t mean the ball hit the floor. He probably wrapped it around. The ball may not have touched the ground,” Ashwin said of the catch on his YouTube channel.
