'IPL wala rule hai kya?' - KL Rahul to Rohit Sharma on reviewing wide during opening Sri Lanka vs India ODI

During the first ODI between India and Sri Lanka at Colombo's R. Premadasa Stadium on August 2, 2024, an interesting exchange between KL Rahul and captain Rohit Sharma came to light, highlighting differences between IPL and international cricket rules. 

As Team India continued their white-ball series against Sri Lanka, the ODI lineup saw the return of veterans Sharma and Virat Kohli. The match, which began under gloomy skies, saw the hosts choosing to bat first after winning the toss. Despite injury concerns in the Sri Lankan camp, the Men in Blue entered the field with a strong lineup, including Rahul as wicketkeeper over Rishabh Pant.

The incident in question occurred during the 14th over of Sri Lanka's innings, bowled by Shivam Dube. On the fourth ball of the over, Dube delivered a length ball angling down the leg side.

The ball appeared to make contact with the Pathum Nissanka's thigh pad before being collected by the keeper. The umpire signaled a wide, but Rahul and Dube believed there might have been some contact.

In the confusion, the 32-year-old was seen asking Sharma about the possibility of reviewing the wide decision, referring to the rules in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Also read: Why is India wearing black armbands in first ODI?

In the IPL, teams are allowed to review wide and no-ball decisions. However, in international cricket, there is no provision for reviewing such calls. This discrepancy led to a brief on-field discussion among the Indian players, with Rahul seemingly advocating for a review based on his IPL experience.

After 30 overs, the island nation's score stood at 112/5. Opener Nissanka departed after scoring 56 runs. For the visitors, Mohammed Siraj, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, and Kuldeep Yadav have picked a wicket each and look to wrap the Sri Lankan tail under 200 runs.