Kohli Fumes Over Patidar's Controversial Catch in IPL 2026

Dr. Annelies De Vos · 2026-05-04

The IPL 2026 clash between the Gujarat Titans and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium was a gripping game. But one moment from the eighth over of RCB's innings is making headlines, an incident that saw the dismissal of the RCB captain, Rajat Patidar, and left Virat Kohli fuming on the boundary. Gujarat Titans won by four wickets, chasing down 155 in 15.5 overs. But it is Patidar's dismissal that has drawn significant attention. ### How Was Patidar Dismissed? Patidar was batting on 19 when he attempted a pull shot on Arshad Khan. Gujarat Titans' Jason Holder was running in to catch the ball low. Kagiso Rabada was also running in from the other side, almost hitting Holder. The umpire called it out. RCB challenged the call. The third umpire was shown replays, but they were not clear. It was difficult to determine whether the ball was held off the ground by Holder's hands or had bounced on the ground before being caught. ### Kohli Confronts Umpire in Animated Exchange Kohli, who was not at the crease when the dismissal happened, was seen to be visibly disturbed when the replays were played on the big screen. Kohli was dismissed for 28 off 13 balls. After the dismissal, Kohli was seen arguing with the umpires by the boundary. Andy Flower, RCB coach, was also seen to be upset. The RCB camp felt the third umpire did not have conclusive evidence to overturn or even support the decision. This is not the first time that a low catch has been disputed in the IPL. But Kohli's reaction highlighted, and it went viral on social media. ### What Cricket's Laws Say and Why Patidar Was Given Out The Laws of Cricket are specific on catches. Law 33.3 requires that a fielder must have complete control over both the ball and their own movement before a catch is complete. The ball must not touch the ground during that process. However, Law 33.2.2 also clarifies that a catch is fair if the ball is held in the fielder's hand even while that hand is touching the ground, as long as the hand itself is holding the ball off the surface. This is precisely where the Holder catch fell into a grey zone. Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin addressed the controversy directly on his YouTube channel. He pointed out that Holder's hands are exceptionally large, and that what appeared to be the ball touching the ground may actually have been the ball sitting inside Holder's palm, protected from the surface. The third umpire, working with the same logic, concluded that part of Holder's hand was keeping the ball elevated even during the slide. ### The Aftermath: What This Means for RCB and GT Gujarat Titans eventually finished on 158 for 6, with Shubman Gill smashing 43 off 18 balls and Jos Buttler adding 39 off 19. Rahul Tewatia closed the chase with an unbeaten 27. RCB remain second on the points table with 12 points, while Gujarat Titans climb to fifth with 10. Here's a quick breakdown of the key stats from the match: - RCB total: 154/8 in 20 overs - GT total: 158/6 in 15.5 overs - Player of the match: Shubman Gill (43 off 18) - Controversial catch: Jason Holder's low grab of Rajat Patidar This controversy has sparked debates across social media. Many fans argue that the third umpire should have asked for more camera angles before making the call. Others point out that Holder's reputation as a safe fielder influenced the decision. ### Looking Ahead For RCB, this loss is a setback, but they're still in a strong position on the points table. For GT, the win is a morale booster as they climb to fifth. Both teams will be looking to build on this momentum in their upcoming matches. As for the catch controversy, it's a reminder that cricket's laws can sometimes leave room for interpretation. The key is to have clear, conclusive evidence when making such game-changing decisions.