'Open your mind a little' - Aakash Chopra clears debate about Suryakumar Yadav's catch in IND vs SA T20WC final

The recently concluded T20 World Cup 2024 final between India and South Africa witnessed a moment of brilliance that sealed India's second title. However, Suryakumar Yadav's game-changing catch to dismiss David Miller in the final over has sparked debate among cricket fans.

Former India opener and renowned commentator Aakash Chopra has now spoken about the controversy, urging critics to open their minds and understand the situation more clearly.

In the nail-biting finale, with Proteas needing 16 runs off the last over, David Miller smashed a low full toss off Hardik Pandya's first bowl towards long-off. Yadav, who showed his exceptional fielding skills, sprinted across to take the catch. As momentum carried him toward the boundary, he tossed the ball back into play before regaining his balance, returning to complete the catch on his second attempt.

The controversy arose when a viral aerial image appeared to show a white line beyond the boundary cushion, leading to the question of whether the boundary had been altered. Addressing these concerns Chopra explained the situation.

"People said the original white line was visible and it means the skirting would have been pushed behind with the feet. Then I say, nothing was pushed, push your brain a little. Open your mind a little and understand the rules. ," he said on his YouTube channel.

"It's absolutely correct that the line is considered the boundary but do you know why the line was ahead of the skirting? It's because there are many pitches on the ground. So when the match shifts from one pitch to another, the boundary ropes are adjusted, and this was not the first match to be played in Barbados," Chopra added.

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There are 30-40 cameras, nothing is hidden from them: Aakash Chopra

The commentator elaborated that as matches shift between pitches, boundary ropes are adjusted accordingly. He pointed out that the visible white line was likely a remainder from a previous game played on a different pitch.

"So the markings were done for the original pitch, and then you changed them because the ground dimensions are going to change. The moment they change, those lines are left behind, and that's about it, there is nothing more to it," he further added. The former cricketer dismissed claims that the 33-year-old Yadav had intentionally moved the boundary to complete his catch.

"Suryakumar Yadav took the catch, he was inside, he threw the ball up when he was going outside, and then he caught the ball after coming back. Everything was absolutely clear. There was no angle which didn't show it with clarity," he continued.

The 46-year-old said that there were enough cameras on the field to capture if there were any adjustments made to the boundary lines during the game. "There were enough cameras. It's the truth with every international game. In fact, we had 26 cameras in the Bengal Pro T20 league, and this was the ICC World Cup. There are 30-40 cameras, nothing is hidden from them," Chopra concluded.