The Indian Premier League 2021 match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings on October 1, was a memorable one for so many reasons and one of the most prominent one of them was Rahil Tripathi's catch to dismiss Punjab skipper KL Rahul, which was later ruled out by the third umpire. Rahul was striking the ball well and his side needed 11 runs off nine deliveries. Shivam Mavi, picked to play his first match of the UAE leg of IPL 2021, ran into bowl and was struck hard by Rahul on the mid-wicket boundary. But Rahul Tripathi, who has been a livewire on the field, dived forward and took a sensational catch. However, the decision was referred to the third umpire Anil Dandekar, who, after watching a lot of TV replays from various angles, declared that the ball had hit the ground first and ruled out the catch.IPL 2021 Points Table Updated

What's interesting was the fact that although Rahul did not hit the winning runs, he struck a boundary that over to ensure that his side was well within reach of the target. Later, Shahrukh Khan finished things off with a six. Netizens however, were not quite pleased with Dandekar's decision to rule out the catch and they took to Twitter to criticise him for that wrong decision, something that changed the course of the outcome of this match and, well, potentially can cost Kolkata Knight Riders a place in the playoffs. KKR vs PBKS, IPL 2021 Stat Highlights

Anjum Chopra speaks

'It was legal'

Fans surely have objected to this decision!

'KKR have been robbed'

'It was a clear cut catch'

A question for the third umpire

'Astounding!'

A potential solution?

'Absolutely, a wrong decision!'

Can it cost qualification for KKR?

Rahul was eventually dismissed by Venkatesh Iyer in the last over but the damage had already been done by then. With the result, KKR retain the fourth place on the points table but now, there are two more sides along with the two-time champions -Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians, who are on 10 points each. The race for the playoffs is heating up slowly and only time would tell how important this decision was, with respect to scenario around qualifying for the playoffs.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 02, 2021 09:39 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).