In their pursuit of Gujarat Titans’ challenging target of 200 runs, Punjab’s batting struggled right from the outset. The opening duo of Jonny Bairstow and Shikhar Dhawan couldn’t lay a strong foundation, with Dhawan departing early in just the second over.
Despite this setback, Bairstow and Prabhsimran managed to steady the ship somewhat, adding 35 runs to reach 48/1 after five overs. However, Punjab encountered a setback in the middle overs as they lost Sam Curran, Sikandar Raza, and Jitesh Sharma in quick succession.
Amidst the tension in the Punjab camp during their chase, a moment of levity unfolded after Jitesh’s dismissal in the 16th over. Rashid Khan delivered a full toss, mistimed by Jitesh, sending the ball soaring towards deep mid-wicket where Darshan Nalkande took an easy catch.
As the on-field umpire Vineet Kulkarni signaled for a strategic timeout, the crowd eagerly awaited the arrival of a new Punjab batsman. After the timeout, Punjab’s impact substitute, Ashutosh Sharma, strode to the crease, yet umpire Nitin Menon had not yet indicated the impact substitution.
— Debi Cha (@ChaDebi95756) April 4, 2024
rashid khan is so unserious 😭 #GTvsPBKS pic.twitter.com/weO2WLRhO0
— wini ✷ (@eviltidbits) April 4, 2024
Unaware of the situation, Rashid prepared to deliver the fourth delivery and released the ball towards the batsman. Nitin Menon, visibly amused by the confusion, informed Rashid that he hadn’t given him the signal to bowl yet, sparking a light-hearted exchange between them, ultimately ruling it as a no-ball.