Gujarat Titans launched their chase against Delhi Capitals with remarkable aggression at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, led by a scintillating display of batting from Sai Sudharsan. The young left-hander was in sublime touch, unleashing a flurry of strokes during the powerplay to push Gujarat to a commanding 59/0 by the end of six overs.
With seven elegant boundaries and a towering six, Sudharsan blazed his way to 44 off just 23 balls, while his partner Shubman Gill played the anchor role at the other end. Their fiery start left Delhi’s skipper, Axar Patel, scrambling for solutions, as he turned to his wrist-spinners—Vipraj Nigam and Kuldeep Yadav—to stem the flow of runs.
Kuldeep Yadav, who has been enjoying a dream run this season, looked determined to provide the much-needed breakthrough. Coming in for the eighth over, he delivered a teasing googly first up—pitched on a good length and turning sharply in to catch Sudharsan off guard.
The batter, stuck in two minds, failed to move either forward or back in time and was struck on the pads. Kuldeep erupted in a loud appeal, convinced he had his man, but on-field umpire Kayur Kelkar stood unmoved, rejecting the appeal confidently despite the drama that unfolded.
Refusing to back down, Delhi reviewed the decision, hopeful that technology would reverse the call. Hawk-Eye showed the delivery pitching in line and impacting in line, but the ball was only grazing the leg stump. With the umpire’s original decision being not out, the review returned as “umpire’s call,” much to Delhi’s frustration. The decision meant Sudharsan survived, continuing his assault with renewed confidence.
— samson (@samson8943) May 18, 2025
Kuldeep’s reaction was a mix of disbelief and frustration. He threw his hands up in exasperation, clearly unable to digest how fortune continued to evade him despite crafting the perfect delivery. In a rare moment of visible discontent, he walked up to the umpire, appearing to question the call directly—an act that quickly went viral. Cricket fans on Twitter were quick to turn the moment into a meme-fest, finding humor in the visibly irritated spinner confronting the official.
Kuldeep Yadav Vs Umpire 😂😭#DCvsGT pic.twitter.com/mhs69H8LX1
— SRIJAN 🇩🇪 (@mhatreszn) May 18, 2025
While the game continued at a frenetic pace, Kuldeep’s near-dismissal of Sudharsan became a talking point. It underscored how fine margins can alter the course of a match and how sometimes, even a perfectly executed plan can go unrewarded. For now, Gujarat Titans continued to ride high on Sudharsan’s heroics, but Delhi Capitals knew they had been just a whisker away from changing the game’s momentum.