The high-stakes IPL 2025 match between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru on May 3 was marred by a massive DRS controversy involving Dewald Brevis. Former ICC umpire Anil Chaudhary has now weighed in on the much-debated moment, shedding light on why the CSK batter was not allowed to take a review after being given out LBW.
The incident occurred during the 17th over of CSK’s run-chase of 214. Brevis, facing his first delivery, was trapped LBW by a knee-high full toss from Lungi Ngidi. On-field umpire Nitin Menon wasted no time in raising his finger. However, instead of reviewing the decision immediately, Brevis and non-striker Ravindra Jadeja attempted a single. A direct hit at the non-striker’s end added more confusion to the moment.
By the time Brevis tried to signal for the review, the 15-second window had already elapsed. The umpires denied his request to challenge the decision. Replays later revealed that the ball would have missed the stumps, meaning the South African batter would have survived had he reviewed in time.
Speaking to Star Sports, Anil Chaudhary offered clarity on the protocols and blamed the delay on a miscommunication caused by the batters’ unnecessary run.
“It’s the responsibility of the batter to look at the umpire. Even when five seconds are left, the umpire informs the player about it. We use hand gestures to alert them, especially when the time is running out. In this case, the players didn’t look up as they were busy running, which was unnecessary since the ball was dead after the dismissal,” said Chaudhary.
Chaudhary added that part of the confusion stemmed from a technical lapse, as the DRS countdown was not displayed on the stadium’s big screen.
“The timer didn’t appear on the big screen, which only made things worse. The umpire was informed by the TV umpire that the time was up. The screen operator not showing the timer is a major concern. While the umpires followed protocol, the lack of visual assistance added to the players’ confusion.”
The incident has sparked a wave of criticism and sympathy for CSK, particularly since the ball-tracking technology later confirmed Brevis was wrongly dismissed. Many fans and experts have called for better synchronization between match officials and technical operators to avoid such high-impact blunders in future matches.
CSK were ultimately left frustrated, as what could have been a turning point in the chase instead turned into a missed opportunity, further intensifying the scrutiny around umpiring and DRS protocols in the IPL.
