The Indian Premier League (IPL) is one of the biggest and richest cricket leagues in the world. It has top-level technology for fair play, like Hawk-Eye, ball tracking, UltraEdge, multiple camera angles, and a full third-umpire setup. With all this in place, you would expect very few mistakes. But even with such advanced systems, human errors still happen, and they’ve been quite noticeable in the ongoing IPL 2026. With the tournament going towards playoffs, here are five big umpiring blunders that raised eyebrows.
Rajat Patidar's dismissal
On Thursday night, a moment involving Gujarat Titans’ Jason Holder grabbed everyone’s attention. He took a brilliant catch near the boundary to dismiss Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar. The third umpire ruled it a clean catch, believing Holder had full control. However, replays suggested the ball might have touched the ground while he was completing it. This decision didn’t go down well, especially with Virat Kohli, who looked clearly upset.
THE CONTROVERSIAL CATCH - What are your thoughts on the decision? 👀 pic.twitter.com/rbrdEQtkRr
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) April 30, 2026
And this isn’t the only incident. IPL 2026 has witnessed several questionable umpiring decisions that have frustrated fans. Here are some of the incidents.
ALSO READ: IPL 2026 Points Table, Orange Cap, Purple Cap Updated After GT’s 4-Wicket Win Over RCB
Heinrich Klaasen on Boundary catch
On the opening day itself, Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Heinrich Klaasen was left unhappy after being given out on a boundary catch by RCB’s Phil Salt. Replays seemed to show Salt’s foot touching the boundary cushion, which should have made it a six. Many fans online strongly disagreed with the decision.
🚨 FIXING OR BLINDNESS KLAASEN FUMES OVER SHAMEFUL CATCH 🚨
— Sam (@Cricsam01) March 29, 2026
Heinrich Klaasen said – “I am not happy with that decision. It was a clear boundary blunder and it changed the whole match. How can this happen in IPL? This is total humiliation of the game!” 🤯 pic.twitter.com/ri9qwKO9FA
Finn Allen's controversial dismissal
In another match, Kolkata Knight Riders batter Finn Allen was given out after a catch near the boundary by Lucknow Super Giants’ Digvesh Rathi. On closer look, it appeared Rathi’s foot may have touched the boundary. Still, the decision wasn’t reviewed properly, and Allen was declared out. That moment proved costly, as LSG went on to chase down 182 on the final ball.
🚨 POOR UMPIRING CONTINUES IN IPL
— Brutal Truth (@sarkarstix) April 9, 2026
Digvesh Rathi today claimed Finn Allen's catch at the boundary in KKR vs LSG match.
However, replays show Digvesh's feet touched the boundary cushion while holding the ball.
Finn was adjudicated out while it was a SIX pic.twitter.com/sXrfGfbQB9
Angkrish Raghuvanshi's obstructing the field dismissal
There was also drama involving KKR’s Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who was given out for obstructing the field against LSG. While trying to complete a run, he was hit by a throw from Mohammed Shami. The fielding side appealed, and the third umpire ruled him out. Many fans were unhappy, but the MCC later supported the decision, explaining that changing direction while running can count as deliberate obstruction.
This was NOT OUT.
— Farrago Abdullah Parody (@abdullah_0mar) April 27, 2026
Angkrish Raghuvanshi DID NOT obstruct the field deliberately.pic.twitter.com/wGtm6j61BT
Rishabh Pant's six declared as four
Another confusing moment came when Rishabh Pant hit what looked like a clear six against KKR. Surprisingly, the on-field umpire called it a four without checking with the third umpire. The match eventually went to a Super Over, where LSG lost, making that call even more frustrating.
That shot by Pant in the 11.1 over of Kartik Tyagi was clearly a six, but the umpires gave it as a four. This shows the poor level of IPL umpiring these days.#Lsgvskkr #rishabhpant pic.twitter.com/jOr2zfxh6v
— Ritesh (@RiteshThakur92) April 27, 2026
Arshad Khan's no-ball during GT vs CSK Clash
In yet another case, Gujarat Titans bowler Arshad Khan clearly overstepped while bowling against Chennai Super Kings, but it wasn’t called a no-ball. Replays showed the mistake, yet the umpires missed it. To make things worse, the batter, Jamie Overton, was dismissed on the very next ball.
ALSO READ: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi On The Verge Of Breaking Abhishek Sharma’s Iconic Record During RR vs DC Clash
Arshad Khan bowled a no-ball against Jamie Overton, but the third umpire didn’t call it a no-ball.
— Mr Stranger (@mrstranger005) April 26, 2026
If CSK lose by a close margin, then third umpire Akshay Totre should be sacked 😡😡 https://t.co/Pm2IsjlOTm pic.twitter.com/eKnQ9EI0oq
All these incidents have once again sparked debate among fans. Many are now questioning whether the available technology is being used properly, especially in such a high-profile tournament.
