The Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore match on April 11 sparked controversy following an incident during the toss. Match referee Javagal Srinath adjudged the Mumbai Indians as the toss winner, when it was actually RCB who won it. In the video, it’s noticeable that Srinath picked up the coin, flipped it, and then announced the result. While it appears to be a mistake, netizens accused the match referee of tampering with the toss.
It seems Faf du Plessis might have been aware of the incident but chose not to speak out about it. However, before the RCB vs SRH match on April 15, du Plessis, the RCB captain, was seen demonstrating the incident to the Hyderabad captain, Pat Cummins. Both of them shared a lighthearted moment, sharing a laugh over the incident.
— Cricket Punter (@ImRahulCSK11) April 16, 2024
MI vs RCB Toss at Wankhede .pic.twitter.com/BJk7TvJxh1
— CricSpot (@CricSpot_dc) April 11, 2024
However, losing the toss in the match against the Mumbai Indians didn’t affect RCB much as they scored 196 runs while batting first. Nevertheless, their bowlers let them down as they couldn’t defend the strong-looking total.
Following RCB’s defeat, netizens accused Javagal Srinath, the match referee, of ball tampering. Srinath is a former Indian pacer who holds the record for the most ODI wickets taken by an Indian pacer, with 315 wickets under his belt. Upon retiring, in 2006, Srinath transitioned to a match referee role appointed under ICC.
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Presently, Srinath is a familiar face as a match referee, regularly officiating in bilateral series held in India and also in the IPL. Javagal Srinath enjoys a well-deserved reputation in Indian cricket. The incident during the MI vs RCB match toss appears to be a rare “brain fade” moment in his otherwise esteemed career.
