KKR vs SRH: Sunrisers Hyderabad's explosive batsman Abhishek Sharma missed out on a half-century in Thursday's match against KKR. Abhishek was dismissed for 48 runs off 21 balls. However, his catch was mired in controversy when replays showed the ball had touched the ground.

KKR vs SRH: Abhishek Sharma's dismissal in the sixth match of IPL 2026 between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad proved to be quite controversial. The left-handed batsman was sent back to the pavilion by Varun Chakravarthy, who took a brilliant catch near the boundary. Although replays showed that the catch did not appear to be legal, the third umpire declared Abhishek out after considering several angles of the replays. Abhishek was seen reluctantly walking off the field, appearing unhappy with the umpire's decision.

Was Abhishek Sharma really out?

The incident occurred in the ninth over of the innings when Abhishek attempted a pull shot but was caught by Varun Chakravarthy near the boundary rope. Although replays showed the ball may have bounced before the KKR fielder could take the catch, the third umpire, after reviewing a different angle of the replay, declared Abhishek out. Thus, Blessing Muzarabani, who joined KKR as a replacement, took his second wicket in the same over. Abhishek scored 48 runs in 21 balls, including four fours and four sixes. His strike rate was over 228.

This is the second case of a controversial decision.

This is the second time in IPL 2026 that SRH batsmen have been involved in a controversial decision. In SRH's first match of IPL 2026 against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Heinrich Klaasen pulled a short ball towards midwicket and Phil Salt took the catch. However, the situation was not so simple. The catch did not appear to be clean. Salt fell despite getting comfortably under the ball. Replays showed that Salt's foot was near the boundary cushion.

Heinrich Klaasen was given out

Third umpire Rohan Pandit checked several times, but for some reason, he didn't zoom back or ask for another angle. Not even for a moment did Salt's foot shadow appear, indicating he had touched the boundary cushion. After these two controversial decisions, it's beyond comprehension how third umpires make decisions, especially when so much money is spent on decision reviews, multiple camera angles, and other facilities.

PC:Prabhat Khabar