WATCH: Bizarre replay check after Virat Kohli takes fabulous catch tumbling backwards; Devdutt Padikkal was ready to return

Virat Kohli tumbled backwards but eventually took a superb catch in Tuesday (April 5) night’s IPL 2022 encounter against Rajasthan Royals (RR). The batting great showcased his fielding brilliance and helped Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) secure the wicket of an in-form Devdutt Padikkal.

But even as his grab looked clean from the naked eye, doubt in the standing umpires’ minds led to a halt in the proceedings and Padikkal was asked to wait before a close-in replay confirmed the legality of Kohli’s take.

Virat Kohli and new RCB skipper Faf du Plessis were left bemused about the replay, for what looked like a straightforward catch wasn’t instantly added to the RCB kitty and the two umpires paused before declaring Padikkal out.

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Umpires wait to confirm legality of Virat Kohli’s clean-looking grab

The incident is from the final ball of the 10th over in RR’s first-innings at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Facing RCB pacer Harshal Patel’s well-disguised slower ball, Padikkal went for a big swing of the bat but ended up mistiming the ball to just outside the edge of the circle in the mid-off region where Virat Kohli was positioned.

Sighting the ball well, Kohli adjusted to the ball swirling in the air and took a catch tougher than it looked at the first glance. But for the umpires, there was an element of doubt involved as far as the fielder’s fall on the turf was concerned .

The player had the ball in his right hand, which bumped on the playing surface at Wankhede. The umpires waited to make sure the ball had also hit the turf while in the fielder’s hand or not?

Seeing Virat Kohli celebrate the catch wholeheartedly, Padikkal started walking back to the pavillion. But just as he was about to enter the RR dug-out, he was asked to wait by the officials.

The left-hander looked keen to resume his innings. But to his despair, replays confirmed that the RCB fielder’s take was clean enough for the batter to be dismissed, and Kohli and Du Plessis had their sigh of relief.