IPL 2024: How Sourav Ganguly and Ricky Ponting made a failed attempt to revert Rishabh Pant's suspension

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IPL 2024: Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant was suspended for a match and fined Rs 30 lakh for his team's third offence of slow over rate in the ongoing IPL 2024. Delhi Capitals exceeded the permissible time limit by 6.82 minutes in their match against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on May 7.

Pant will now miss their side's all-important match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Sunday, May 12. Delhi are placed fifth in the 10-team IPL 2024, and need to win their next two games to give themselves a best shot for playoffs qualification. Like, Delhi - fourth-placed Chennai Super Kings (CSK), and sixth-placed Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) also have 12 points from 12 matches.

Realising the importance of DC's next match against RCB, Director of Cricket Sourav Ganguly, and head coach Ricky Ponting appeared on behalf of their team to appeal the match referee's decision. BCCI CEO Hemang Amin appeared on behalf of BCCI during the hearing which was heard by BCCI Ombudsman Justice Vineet Saran.

While Sourav Ganguly argued that 13 sixes were hit during the Rajasthan Royals innings, and it took time to retrieve the ball from the stands, Ricky Ponting said that bowlers bowled too many wides, and Pant - a wicketkeeper-batter should not be held responsible.

"Mr. Sourav Ganguly, appearing for the Appellant, has submitted that during the course of the innings of Rajasthan Royals, 13 sixes were hit by their batters but the consequential. Ball Retrieval Allowance of 0.30 minutes has only been granted on three (3) occasions to the Appellant. Further, it has been submitted that the 3.0 minutes allowance granted for the review of the dismissal of Mr. Sanju Samson (batter of Rajasthan Royals) was insufficient as Mr. Samson had protested, which consumed extra time, and the dismissal involved a review time of more than 3 minutes," Ganguly said in his argument.

"Mr. Ricky Ponting, also appearing for the Appellant has further submitted that owing to delivery of multiple wide deliveries towards the late end of the innings by the bowlers of the Delhi Capitals, there remained no time with the Appellant to compensate for the delay caused, as there remained no overs to help boost the over rate by the use of spinners. Mr. Ponting has also submitted that the Appellant, who is the Captain of the Delhi Capitals and is a wicket-keeper batsman, should not be held responsible for the delay caused by the bowlers in the match," Ponting stated.

Rishabh Pant cited the intense Delhi heat also as one of the reasons. He also reminded that the review taken by Sanju Samson took more than five minutes.

"Mr. Rishabh Pant, the Appellant has submitted that the delay was also caused due to the fact that the match day in consideration was the hottest day in Delhi and thus the heat was a major contributing factor in the slow over rate. Mr. Pant has further submitted that the review involving the dismissal of Mr. Sanju Samson consumed approximately 5-6 minutes and thus the 3-minute allowances granted in lieu of the same is inadequate," Pant said.

Why was Ganguly, Ponting and Pant's argument dismissed by BCCI Ombudsman?

BCCI CEO Hemang Amin in his argument said that Delhi Capitals have failed to give any data regarding their claims despite video analyst of the team being provided with the video of the entire match. He added that the appellants have not even filed written submissions. He also said that all 13 sixes of the batters of Rajasthan Royals would not necessarily reach the stands in a manner requiring ball retrieval allowance of 0.30 minutes by the Match Referee.

"The contention of the Appellant that the delay was also caused because of several wide balls having been bowled, also does not

benefit the Appellant as the same was caused by their bowlers for which the Appellant cannot claim any benefit," the ruling on the wide-ball argument said.