Sunil Gavaskar slammed the umpires for overlooking Virat Kohli’s dangerous running incident during the IPL 2025 final.
In a thrilling IPL 2025 final between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS), legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar criticised the on-field umpires for overlooking what he termed a “dangerous act” by Virat Kohli. The incident took place during the 12th over of RCB’s innings when Kohli, while completing a quick double off Yuzvendra Chahal’s bowling, ran straight down the middle of the pitch—a move considered harmful to the playing surface.
Gavaskar, who was commentating live, expressed his disappointment, questioning why Kohli wasn’t cautioned for his actions. He emphasised that such running can damage the pitch and potentially disadvantage the team batting second. “Kohli is a swift runner between the wickets. As soon as he hit the ball, he knew it was two,” Gavaskar remarked. “No umpire will ever tell him. There he is, running straight down the pitch again. Punjab Kings are batting second,” he added.
The incident occurred at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad after PBKS won the toss and chose to bowl first. With boundaries hard to come by, Kohli focused on quick singles and twos to keep the scoreboard moving. In the 12th over, after nudging the ball wide of long-on, Kohli called for a second run. His partner, Liam Livingstone, comfortably made his ground with a dive at the non-striker’s end.
Despite Gavaskar’s concerns, the umpires took no action, sparking debate over whether star players are sometimes given undue leeway.
Kohli’s batting strategy also drew scrutiny. Known for his explosive strike rate this season—hovering around 150—he adopted a more conservative approach in the final, prioritising strike rotation and allowing big-hitters like Phil Salt and Rajat Patidar more deliveries.
Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden, commenting on the English broadcast, questioned this strategy. “200 is just a par score here,” he noted, implying that Kohli should have been more aggressive.
Kohli was eventually dismissed in the 15th over by Azmatullah Omarzai after scoring 43 off 35 balls. During the first strategic time-out, RCB coaches Andy Flower and Dinesh Karthik were seen having a serious discussion with Kohli, likely urging him to accelerate the scoring rate.
Both teams went unchanged into the final, with PBKS led by Shreyas Iyer.
