Date: May 22, 2013
Location: Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, New Delhi
Event: IPL Season 6 – Eliminator (Sunrisers Hyderabad vs. Rajasthan Royals)
The two-month grind of the Indian Premier League had mercilessly filtered the pretenders from the contenders.
For the Sunrisers Hyderabad, the league stage had been a revelation. The newly branded franchise had transformed into a suffocating, ruthless winning machine under Siddanth Deva's captaincy. They had finished the group stage in a very comfortable 3rd position, securing their spot in the high-stakes Eliminator.
But the real story of the tournament was the Captain himself. Siddanth Deva was wearing the coveted Orange Cap, having amassed a staggering 712 runs in the league stage. Simultaneously, his express pace and lethal variations had netted him 24 wickets, placing him firmly in the top three for the Purple Cap. It was a level of individual dominance the T20 format had never seen.
Tonight, it was do-or-die. A knockout match against Rahul Dravid's highly disciplined Rajasthan Royals at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi. The loser would go home; the winner would advance to Qualifier 2.
The Delhi heat was oppressive, but the stadium was packed to capacity. Up in the commentary box, Ravi Shastri and Harsha Bhogle set the stage.
"A massive evening awaits us here in the capital!" Shastri's voice boomed over the broadcast. "It is the Eliminator. Sunrisers Hyderabad taking on the Rajasthan Royals. Two captains who lead by absolute example. Siddanth Deva has the Orange Cap sitting proudly on his head. Rahul Dravid has molded a young Royals squad into a formidable unit."
"It's a fascinating tactical battle, Ravi," Harsha Bhogle chimed in. "The pitch here at the Kotla is notoriously slow and low. It's going to grip for the spinners. The toss is going to be incredibly crucial."
Down on the pitch, Simon Doull stood with the two captains. Siddanth spun the coin. Rahul Dravid called heads. It landed tails.
"Siddanth, you've won a very important toss. What are you going to do?" Doull asked.
"We are going to field first, Simon," Siddanth replied, looking entirely composed. "It's a dry wicket, but there is a strong possibility of dew later in the evening. We want to restrict them to a manageable total and let our openers chase it down when the ball skids on a bit better."
"You've been in phenomenal form yourself, holding the Orange Cap. Any changes to the side for this knockout clash?"
"We are going in unchanged," Siddanth confirmed. "The boys have executed the blueprint perfectly all season. We back our core."
"Thanks, Siddanth. Rahul, batting first. What is a par score on this Kotla track?"
"It's not a 180 wicket, Simon," the veteran Dravid smiled softly. "It's going to be tough to score freely in the middle overs. If we can get to 150 or 160, our bowlers have the discipline to defend it. We just need a solid start."
---
The Rajasthan Royals openers, Rahul Dravid and Ajinkya Rahane, walked out to the middle. The Sunrisers took the field, executing Siddanth's precise fielding geometries.
Dale Steyn took the new ball. From the very first over, it was evident that the pitch was sluggish. The ball wasn't coming onto the bat, completely neutralizing the Royals' attempts to score quick boundaries in the Powerplay.
Steyn drew first blood in the fourth over. He bowled a heavy, rising delivery that got big on Rahane. The batsman tried to fend it away, but the ball caught the shoulder of the bat and lobbed to Siddanth at backward point.
Ajinkya Rahane: c Deva b Steyn 18 (15)
Shane Watson, the dangerous Australian all-rounder, walked in at number three. Siddanth immediately brought himself into the attack. He knew Watson relied on pure power and pace on the ball. Siddanth rolled his fingers over the seam, delivering a sequence of perfectly disguised 115 kmph off-cutters.
Watson swung wildly at the third delivery, completely misjudged the lack of pace, and dragged the ball back onto his own stumps.
"BOWLED HIM! The Captain strikes!" Ian Bishop roared from the commentary box. "Deva completely deceives Watson with the slower ball! That is a massive, massive wicket for Hyderabad!"
Shane Watson: b Deva 8 (11)
At 35 for 2 after the Powerplay, Rajasthan was struggling.
For the next ten overs, Siddanth deployed Amit Mishra and Karn Sharma in tandem. The two leg-spinners spun an absolute web around the Royals' middle order. The ball gripped, turned, and bounced inconsistently. Rahul Dravid fought a gritty, lone battle, anchoring the innings with a hard-fought 43 off 46 balls before being trapped LBW by Amit Mishra.
Brad Hodge came in late and provided a brief, desperate surge, hitting a few boundaries off Thisara Perera, but the Sunrisers' death bowling was simply too clinical.
Siddanth bowled the 19th over, executing flawless, wide yorkers that conceded only six runs. Steyn closed out the 20th over with raw pace.
RAJASTHAN ROYALS: 132/7 (20 Overs)
"An absolute masterclass in restrictive bowling from the Sunrisers," Harsha Bhogle summarized at the innings break. "132 for 7. Siddanth Deva rotated his bowlers beautifully, never letting the Rajasthan batsmen settle. 133 is the target. It is not a massive score, but in a knockout game, on a slow pitch, strange things can happen."
---
Inside the dressing room, Siddanth gathered his top order.
"133 is tricky if we lose early wickets," Siddanth instructed Shikhar Dhawan and Aaron Finch. "Do not try to finish the game in ten overs. Respect the conditions. Take the singles, punish the bad balls. Give us a foundation."
Finch and Dhawan strode out to the middle.
James Faulkner and Kevon Cooper took the new ball for Rajasthan. The SRH openers started cautiously, pushing the ball into the gaps. Dhawan found the boundary twice in the third over with elegant cover drives, and Finch used his power to muscle a short ball over mid-wicket for six.
By the end of the Powerplay, SRH was perfectly placed at 45 for no loss. The required run rate had dropped to just over six an over. It looked like a comfortable, professional chase.
But Rahul Dravid's team never gave up easily.
As the field spread, Kevon Cooper bowled a brilliant, dipping slower ball to Aaron Finch. The Australian tried to heave it over long-on, but the lack of pace meant he didn't get to the pitch of the delivery. The ball soared high into the Delhi night sky, and Brad Hodge settled underneath it at long-off to take a safe catch.
"Got him! Cooper breaks the partnership!" Bishop announced. "Finch perishes trying to force the pace. But he has given them a very solid start."
Aaron Finch: c Hodge b Cooper 24 (21)
Parthiv Patel walked to the crease at number three, tasked with rotating the strike.
But the very next over, disaster struck again. James Faulkner bowled a sharp, full-length delivery angling across Shikhar Dhawan. Dhawan attempted to square cut, but the ball kept slightly lower than expected, took the inside edge, and crashed into his leg stump.
"Chopped on! Faulkner strikes now!" Harsha called out, the tension suddenly rising. "Two quick wickets for Rajasthan! Dhawan departs, and suddenly, the Royals have a foot in the door!"
Shikhar Dhawan: b Faulkner 21 (19)
The score was 48 for 2 in the 8th over. The Kotla crowd erupted into a deafening roar.
It wasn't a cheer for the wicket. It was a cheer for the man walking down the pavilion steps.
Siddanth Deva walked out to the middle.
"The Orange Cap holder arrives," Sunil Gavaskar noted. "He has been in sublime form. Rajasthan knows that if they don't get him out early, this chase will be over in fifteen overs."
Siddanth took his guard. Shane Watson was brought back into the attack by Dravid, hoping the Australian's heavy pace could unsettle the SRH captain.
Watson steamed in and bowled a full delivery on middle stump.
Siddanth didn't even bother taking a sighter. He stepped slightly out of his crease to meet the pitch of the ball, and launched it with a flawless, high-elbow straight drive. The ball sailed over the bowler's head, soaring majestically over the long-off boundary for a massive six.
"SIX! FIRST BALL!" Bishop roared as the crowd went wild. "No nerves whatsoever from Siddanth Deva! He meets Watson with absolute disdain! What a shot to get off the mark!"
Siddanth tapped the pitch casually. Watson walked back to his mark, looking frustrated, wiping sweat from his brow.
Watson ran in for the second delivery. Knowing he couldn't pitch it up again, Watson dug his fingers into the seam, bowling a sharp off-cutter on a good length, aiming just outside the off-stump.
Siddanth watched the ball out of the hand. Recognizing the cutter, he leaned forward, presenting a perfectly straight, defensive bat to kill the spin and drop the ball to the off-side for a quick single.
The ball passed the outside edge of his bat.
There was a tiny, faint click as the ball passed the bat, likely the sound of the bat grazing the hard, dry Kotla pitch or perhaps Siddanth's back foot moving within the crease. The ball landed safely in the gloves of the Rajasthan wicket-keeper, Dishant Yagnik.
Instantly, Yagnik and Watson went up in a massive, aggressive, completely hysterical appeal.
"HOWZAAAAAT?!" Watson screamed, throwing his arms in the air, his face turning red.
The Pakistani umpire, Asad Rauf, standing at the bowler's end, barely took a second to think. He raised his index finger high into the air.
OUT.
Siddanth froze in his crease.
He looked at the umpire, his brow furrowing in absolute, genuine confusion. He hadn't hit it. He hadn't even come close to hitting it. He knew exactly where his bat was in space. There was no anger, just a bewilderment at what the umpire could have possibly heard.
At the non-striker's end, Parthiv Patel didn't share his captain's silent confusion. The veteran wicket-keeper knew exactly what a nick sounded like, and he knew that wasn't it.
Parthiv threw his arms up in the air and immediately marched towards Asad Rauf.
"It hit the ground! It hit the ground, Asad bhai!" Parthiv shouted, his face flushed with outrage. "There was no edge! Are you serious?!"
Siddanth instantly snapped him back to reality. A dissenting captain was one thing, but a screaming non-striker was a guaranteed heavy fine and a potential match ban.
Siddanth quickly stepped between Parthiv and the umpire. He grabbed his furious teammate by the shoulder and physically pulled him back.
"Leave it, Parthiv," Siddanth said firmly, his voice steady despite the shock. "The finger is up. Don't get yourself banned. We need you to finish the chase."
Siddanth let out a slow, heavy breath. A wry, disbelieving smile touched his lips. He shook his head slowly, tucked his bat under his arm, and began the long walk back to the dugout.
Up in the commentary box, the atmosphere shifted from excitement to absolute confusion.
The broadcast showed the ultra-slow-motion side-on angle.
The stadium screens remained blank to avoid inciting riots, but the millions watching on television saw it clear as day.
There was a gap of at least two inches between Siddanth's bat and the red leather ball. The ball hadn't even brushed his equipment. The faint click they had heard was Siddanth's toe spikes scraping against the hard popping crease.
The Snickometer graphic flashed on the screen as the ball passed the bat. It was a completely, perfectly flat line.
"Oh... my goodness," Ian Bishop's voice dropped into a register of sheer, unadulterated shock. "There is daylight between the bat and the ball. Absolute daylight."
"That is an absolute shocker," Harsha Bhogle said, his usual diplomatic tone replaced by strict professional outrage. "He has missed that by a mile. It hasn't taken the edge, it hasn't brushed the glove. That is a massive, massive umpiring blunder by Asad Rauf."
"And this is exactly why the world is begging for technology," Bishop added, his tone sharpening. "The BCCI has stubbornly refused to adopt the Decision Review System in this tournament because they claim it isn't one hundred percent accurate. Yet, they are perfectly willing to accept a one hundred percent human error in a multi-million dollar knockout match! It's a staggering irony."
"It's a tragedy, Harsha," Gavaskar chimed in, equally appalled. "In a knockout match of this magnitude, to lose your captain, your best batsman, and the current Orange Cap holder to a decision like that... it is completely unfair. Look at the replay. The bat hits the ground. That is what the umpire heard. It's a horrendous decision."
As Siddanth climbed the pavilion stairs, the camera panned to the Sunrisers dugout.
VVS Laxman, a man globally revered for his polite, gentlemanly demeanor and absolute calm, was visibly furious. He threw his tactical notebook onto the bench with a loud smack and stood up, pointing aggressively toward the field. He turned to Head Coach Darren Lehmann, who was equally livid, his face bright red as he paced the confines of the dugout.
"It's a disgrace, Boof!" Laxman complained loudly to the fuming Australian coach, completely losing his usual cool. "The bat clipped the pitch! Anyone with ears could tell the difference!"
"And without the DRS in this tournament, there is absolutely nothing Deva can do," Bishop sighed as the camera tracked Siddanth walking calmly up the pavilion stairs, still offering that wry, resigned smile to his shocked teammates. "He handles it with incredible grace. Most players would be throwing their bats in the dressing room. But make no mistake, that single decision might have just cost the Sunrisers Hyderabad the match."
---
Hundreds of miles away in Hyderabad, sitting in the living room of her home, Krithika was absolutely seething.
She had been sitting on the edge of the sofa, watching the run chase intently with her younger sister, Anjali. When Siddanth hit the first ball for a six, they had both cheered. When the umpire's finger went up on the second ball, they had been confused.
But when the replay showed the massive, undeniable gap between the bat and the ball, the living room erupted.
"ARE YOU BLIND?!" Krithika screamed at the television, her voice cracking with pure anger. She jumped up from the sofa, pointing furiously at the screen. "He didn't even touch it! There is literally two inches of space! You can park a truck between the bat and the ball!"
Anjali dropped her bowl of potato chips on the floor, equally outraged. "That's cheating! They appealed just to pressure the umpire! Why didn't he take a review?!"
"Because the stupid BCCI refuses to use DRS in the IPL!" Krithika yelled, pacing the living room, her hands pulling at her hair. "In an Eliminator match! This is ridiculous! It's completely unfair!"
Ronny, the golden retriever, sensing the extreme distress of his owner, hid under the dining table, letting out a soft, confused whimper.
Krithika grabbed her Bolt from the coffee table. She opened Twitter.
The internet was in a state of absolute, nuclear meltdown.
Within three minutes of the replay being broadcast, the digital world had erupted into a tidal wave of outrage. Siddanth Deva was the golden boy of Indian cricket. Seeing him robbed in a knockout match triggered a unified, furious response from fans, pundits, and neutral viewers alike.
#AsadRaufBlind was the number one trending topic worldwide.
#WeNeedDRS was trending at number two.
@CricketFanatic99:I am actually disgusted. That is the worst umpiring decision I have seen in my entire life. The bat hit the ground! Are we playing a gully cricket match or a multi-million dollar global tournament? #AsadRaufBlind
@SportsJourno_Raj:Siddanth Deva walked off with a smile. The maturity of a 22-year-old is greater than the competence of a veteran elite umpire. The BCCI's stubbornness against DRS has officially ruined a playoff match. Unforgivable. #WeNeedDRS
@MumbaiIndiansFan:I don't even support SRH, but my blood is boiling. You don't give the Orange Cap holder out on a complete guess. Rauf just killed the game. Feel terrible for Deva.
Krithika liked every single angry tweet she saw. She aggressively typed out her own tweet on her anonymous account: If your umpires can't differentiate between the sound of wood hitting leather and wood hitting dirt, buy them hearing aids or give the players the technology to review it. Absolute robbery. @BCCI
She threw her phone back onto the sofa and collapsed into the cushions, crossing her arms tightly over her chest, tears of sheer, helpless frustration burning in the corners of her eyes.
She wasn't angry because SRH might lose. She was angry because she knew how hard Siddanth worked. She knew how much this franchise meant to him, how he had carried the team on his back for two months. To see his journey end not because he was outplayed, but because of human incompetence, felt incredibly cruel.
---
Back at the Feroz Shah Kotla, the psychological impact of Siddanth's unfair dismissal rippled through the Sunrisers dugout like a shockwave.
Siddanth Deva: c Yagnik b Watson 6 (2)
The score was 54 for 3 in the 9th over. The target of 133 was still very achievable. But T20 cricket is a game of momentum, and the momentum had violently shifted.
Hanuma Vihari walked out to join Parthiv Patel. They tried to stabilize the innings, but the pitch was getting slower by the minute. The Rajasthan Royals bowlers, completely energized by the stroke of luck, bowled with relentless accuracy.
Pravin Tambe, the medium-pacer, bowled a string of brilliant slower balls that gripped the surface. In the 12th over, Parthiv tried to hit across the line, top-edged it, and was caught.
Cameron White came in, tasked with using his experience to anchor the chase. But the Australian veteran struggled to time the ball on the sluggish deck. He was tied down by the spin of Brad Hodge and eventually holed out to deep mid-wicket for a painful 4 off 11 balls.
Thisara Perera, the explosive Sri Lankan, was sent in to provide a rapid finish. But the scoreboard pressure was immense. Perera swung wildly at his third delivery, completely missed a straight ball from James Faulkner, and was bowled.
"It is falling apart for Hyderabad," Ian Bishop analyzed solemnly as the wickets tumbled. "The middle order looks completely panicked. Deva was the glue that held this aggressive unit together. Without him, the pressure of a knockout chase is proving too much for the younger players."
Karn Sharma and Amit Mishra tried to scramble some runs in the final overs, hitting a few boundaries, but the asking rate had climbed too high.
It all came down to the final over. Sunrisers Hyderabad needed 15 runs to win.
Shane Watson took the ball for the 20th over.
Amit Mishra tried his best. He scooped the first ball for a boundary over short third man. But Watson followed it up with three brilliant, wide yorkers that yielded only singles.
With 9 runs required off the final two deliveries, Karn Sharma tried to clear the long-on boundary but was caught comfortably by Stuart Binny.
On the final ball, Ishant Sharma swung wildly and missed.
The match was over.
SUNRISERS HYDERABAD: 129/8 (20 Overs)
In the SRH dugout, the players sat in stunned, devastated silence. Hanuma Vihari had his head buried in his hands. Dale Steyn was staring blankly at the grass. They had fought so hard only to fall agonizingly short by three runs.
Siddanth stood up.
He didn't look defeated. He looked calm. As the captain, he absorbed the heartbreak of his team and buried it entirely.
Dale Steyn was pacing the narrow space in front of the benches, aggressively unstrapping his pads. "We were robbed, Sid. That umpire completely stole the game from us. If You were there it would have been finished in the fifteenth over!"
Siddanth walked over to his premier fast bowler, placing a firm, grounding hand on Steyn's shoulder.
"We didn't lose because of the umpire, Dale," Siddanth said, his voice cutting through the tension with absolute, excuse-free accountability. "We lost because we couldn't score 15 runs in the final over. We can't let the whole match be decided on one decision. We have to have some accountability. We played well all season easily scoring 170+; today we fell three runs short of chasing it. That's cricket."
He looked around the dugout, making eye contact with his devastated players. "I am proud of every single one of you. Now, let's go shake their hands."
He led his team onto the pitch.
Siddanth walked down the line of celebrating Rajasthan Royals players, shaking hands and offering genuine congratulations. He shook Shane Watson's hand, holding no ill will toward the bowler for the appeal. It was a high-stakes game; appealing was part of it. The error was the umpire's, not the bowler's.
Finally, he reached Rahul Dravid.
The Rajasthan captain, a man of absolute integrity and class, pulled Siddanth into a warm, respectful hug.
"Unlucky, Sid," Dravid said quietly, patting Siddanth's back before pulling away to look him in the eye. "You didn't hit that. I'm sorry the game had to be decided that way."
"That's the nature of the sport, Rahul bhai," Siddanth smiled genuinely, appreciating the rare, honest admission from the opposing captain. "Human error is part of it until the technology changes. You guys bowled brilliantly in the middle overs. Good luck for Qualifier 2. Go win the whole thing."
Dravid smiled, a look of respect in his eyes. "Thank you, Sid."
Siddanth walked off the field, waving his Orange Cap to the cheering crowd one last time before disappearing into the tunnel.
The locker room was quiet. Players were slowly packing their kitbags, the reality of elimination sinking in.
Siddanth placed his heavy bat in the corner of his locker. He pulled out his Bolt. The screen was flooded with thousands of notifications, mostly angry tweets and messages of sympathy from friends and business partners regarding the umpiring blunder.
He ignored all of them and opened a single chat.
Mama's Boy:We lost. But I get to come home early. I'm taking you and Ronny out for a drive tomorrow night. Ice cream is on me.
He didn't have to wait long. The blue ticks appeared instantly.
Headache:You were robbed, Sid. It was completely unfair. I've been yelling at the TV for two hours.
Headache:But I'm proud of you. You carried the team all season. Come home. Vanilla ice cream, double scoop.
Siddanth locked the phone and let out a slow exhale, a small smile touching his lips. The IPL trophy had eluded him this year, stolen by a single moment of human error. But as he looked around the dressing room at the team he had built from scratch, and thought about the girl waiting for him back in Hyderabad, he knew he hadn't really lost anything at all.