A few school kids made it to the PCA Stadium here on a Friday morning to watch the up and coming sensation Shubman Gill bat on the first day of Punjab’s Ranji Trophy encounter against Delhi. Instead, they saw the 20-year-old get into an awkward confrontation with the umpires.
On the fourth ball of the 10th over, Shubman Gill was given out caught behind off medium-pacer Subodh Bhati. Gill refused to walk and instead got into a heated argument with umpire Mohammed Rafi (making his debut) at the bowling end.
Rafi then consulted square-leg umpire Paschim Pathak and reversed his decision. Going by Delhi vice-captain Nitish Rana’s conversation with coach KP Bhaskar, Gill allegedly abused the umpire. “Sir, umpire ko gaali de raha hai (He is abusing the umpire.),” Rana was heard telling Bhaskar.
The incident didn’t go down well in the Delhi camp. The players were visibly agitated by Gill’s behavior. Play resumed after 12 minutes after match referee P Ranganathan intervened.
The incident playing on his mind, Gill lost his focus and edged one off Simarjeet Singh to wicketkeeper Anuj Rawat to be out for 23 with the team’s score on 60. This time he walked off with his head down. Punjab finished the day at 266/8.
“This is quite unacceptable. If someone is playing for India it doesn’t mean that he has got the right to intimidate an umpire. Showing dissent is a different thing but trying to intimidate an on-field umpire is way over the top”, Bhaskar said.
TOI has learned that match referee had a word with Shubman Gill and Delhi’s captain Dhruv Shorey after the match. The Delhi team has decided not to lodge an official complaint against Gill.
