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The decision by Sanju Samson to substitute Rovman Powell during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match between Delhi Capitals (DC) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Friday garnered attention from DC’s head coach Ricky Ponting and Director of Cricket Sourav Ganguly.
Ricky Ponting and Sourav Ganguly’s concerns
This move occurred after the second ball of the first over of Delhi’s innings when Samson signalled for Powell to replace Shubham Dubey. It’s worth noting that both Powell and Dubey were listed as substitute players by skipper Samson before the match began. Ponting, observing from the dugout, immediately raised concerns and engaged in a discussion with an off-field match official regarding why Rajasthan had four overseas players on the field when they had originally named only three in the playing eleven.
Debate on Rajasthan Royals’ tactics
The original three overseas players named in the Rajasthan playing eleven against Delhi were Jos Buttler, Shimron Hetmyer and Trent Boult. Pacer Nandre Burger replaced Hetmyer as an impact substitute in the second essay, setting a 186-run target for Delhi. While Ponting attempted to address the matter patiently from the dugout, Ganguly, seated behind him, also intervened and discussed the issue with the official.
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Overseas player rules in IPL matches
According to overseas playing conditions, rule 1.2.5 specifies that no team can have more than four overseas players in their team. However, rule 1.2.6 states that if all four players have been named in the XI, an overseas player can only enter as a substitute for another. After extensive discussion, it was determined that there was nothing wrong with RR’s tactics, and the debate was resolved.
— Nihari Korma (@NihariVsKorma) March 29, 2024
Impact of the substitution in the DC vs RR match
In the match, a maximum of four overseas players are allowed to participate, and no more than four can field at once. Therefore, Samson’s Rajasthan were well within their rights to utilize Powell on the field. Powell did not bowl or bat in the match, which Rajasthan managed to win by 12 runs. Impact substitute Burger took two wickets for 29 runs in three overs, while Boult conceded 29 runs without taking any wickets in three overs. Buttler scored 11 runs, and Hetmyer contributed 14 unbeaten runs off seven balls.
