NEW DELHI: Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Rovman Powell minced no words after his team suffered a nerve-jangling last-ball loss to Lucknow Super Giants, suggesting the outcome may have been affected by an umpiring \u201cblunder\u201d while also acknowledging that Eden Gardens conditions had a say in how the match unfolded.<\/p>\n
Chasing a target of 181\/4, KKR looked to be steering the contest comfortably as Lucknow slipped to 128\/7 after 16 overs. However, the game swung dramatically when Mukul Choudhary unleashed a late surge\u2014finishing unbeaten on 54 from just 27 deliveries\u2014helping Lucknow chase down the target with three wickets in hand on the final ball.<\/p>\n
The main flashpoint arrived earlier in Lucknow\u2019s innings when Finn Allen was dismissed in a disputed fashion. Allen attempted a shot, edged high, and the ball was taken at deep third man. Yet replays indicated the catching boundary might have been grazed, raising questions over whether the ball had stayed in play. Despite the uncertainty, the on-field officials did not send the matter for review.<\/p>\n
Powell pointed directly to the lack of additional scrutiny. \u201cDefinitely more angles should have been looked at. We felt we\u2019d seen in the IPL that umpires go upstairs for smaller calls, and not as close as that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He stopped short of assigning full responsibility to the referees, adding, \u201cMaybe it was a blunder on their part, but we\u2019re not going to say that is what cost us two points tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Powell also spoke about the pitch at Eden Gardens, stressing that it was far from the kind of flat surface that typically invites huge totals. In his view, the track offered something for bowlers and made batting less straightforward than fans might associate with the venue.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not that classic Eden Gardens wicket where you just go and blast. It was not a 220-wicket; there was a little bit in it for the bowlers, especially with slower balls,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n
Even with KKR coming up short, Powell praised Mukul\u2019s composure in the closing stages. \u201cYou want to make Eden Gardens your fortress\u2026 but credit to the youngster, he batted really well,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
KKR\u2019s campaign has not gone smoothly so far, with only one point from their first four matches. Still, Powell believes the team can recover. \u201cIf you see the history, winners build momentum in the middle and back end. It\u2019s not easy when you don\u2019t start well, but our destiny is still in our hands. We still have 10 games left,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NEW DELHI: Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Rovman Powell minced no words after his team suffered a nerve-jangling last-ball loss to Lucknow Super Giants, suggesting the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1639,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"KKR vs LSG: Rovman Powell Blasts Umpiring After Loss","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Rovman Powell reacts to KKR\u2019s last-ball defeat vs LSG, alleging an umpiring blunder and weighing Eden Gardens conditions in the tense IPL clash.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1640","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n