Jonty Rhodes, the fielding coach for LSG, has revealed a startling truth regarding the rowdy behaviour of the crowd during the match against SRH.
Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants were playing in the 2023 Indian Premier League on Saturday. When the trouble started when the crowd became rowdy during SRH’s innings.
The match was stopped for several minutes as a result. LSG’s fielding coach Jonty Rhodes confirmed that the fans threw nuts and bolts at one of the team’s players in retaliation to the umpire’s apparent refusal to call a no-ball for height.
Jonty Rhodes has made an unexpected disclosure
Not at the dugout, but at the players. They hit Prerak Mankad on the head while he was fielding at long on. #noton https://t.co/4yxmuXh7ZF
— Jonty Rhodes (@JontyRhodes8) May 13, 2023
Rhodes posted on his official Twitter, “Not at the dugout, but at the players. During his long on the fielding attempt, they struck Prerak Mankad in the head. Noton ”.
The on-field umpire Akshay Totre did not rule that LSG pacer Avesh Khan’s delivery to Abdul Samad. Which appeared to be a beamer, was a no-ball. The third umpire, Yeshwant Barde also decided in favour of the bowling team.
When LSG head coach Andy Flower and mentor Gautam Gambhir, along with others in the dugout, suddenly appeared and were seen pointing at the stands directly behind their team area.
LSG captain Klaasen became irate and began to argue with the on-field umpires. During the LSG players’ animated discussion with the referees. It appeared as though someone in the crowd had thrown something.
Additionally, during this time, one could hear the crowd chanting “Kohli Kohli” in an apparent effort to energise Gambhir. Jonty Rhodes shockingly reveals to the SRH crowd that “they hit him on the head” by throwing nuts and bolts at him.
The chants were in response to the fight that the LSG mentor had earlier this month with former India captain Virat Kohli. Heinrich Klaasen of SRH expressed his displeasure at the crowd’s antics. And claimed that it negatively impacted the team’s momentum.
Since that’s not what you wanted, I must admit I was disappointed in the crowd. In the mid-game interview, Klaasen had said, “That also slowed down the momentum, and the umpiring wasn’t great either”.
The Lucknow Super Giants eventually defeated the Sunrisers by a comfortable seven wickets. By maintaining their chances of making the playoffs.
The SRH has been all but eliminated from the competition and must win each of their remaining games to maintain any chance of making the playoffs.