The Decision Review System (DRS) controversy took center stage during the IPL 2024 clash between Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans at the Wankhede Stadium, as fans were left furious over the unavailability of ball tracking technology during key moments of the match.
Former MI skipper Rohit Sharma survived two tight LBW calls in the second over bowled by Arshad Khan. While Gujarat opted for a review, the third umpire declared both not out due and the ball tracking not being available made it an easy cake for MI to survive. This left fans stunned and triggered a wave of criticism across social media, especially since both instances seemed to have potential.
Although no official explanation has been provided, reports from the stadium suggest that a technical glitch temporarily delayed the use of DRS in the initial overs. However, players will be able to use DRS once the issue is resolved.
Soon after, Twitter (X) erupted with memes and allegations. One user commented, “Umpire Indians have disabled ball tracking to let Rohit find his feet”, while another quipped, “Ball tracking not available again 😂😂”. A fan from Tamil Nadu expressed disbelief in regional language, questioning if such errors happen only when MI plays. The outage led many to sarcastically call out the “Ambani influence” at Wankhede.
Ball tracking technology is a critical component of DRS, offering clarity in LBW decisions. Its sudden unavailability in a high-stakes match sparked suspicions among fans, especially as the glitch benefitted a star player of the host franchise.
While the BCCI is yet to comment officially, such technological lapses undermine the credibility of fair play. For now, MI may have survived early blows, but the internet isn’t letting go that easily.
