Mumbai Indians suffered a huge 103-run defeat against Chennai Super Kings on April 23 at Wankhede Stadium. It was a tough day for MI in all departments.
Sanju Samson played a brilliant innings. He scored an unbeaten century and dominated the MI bowlers. Akeal Hosein also impressed with the ball. He picked up four wickets and made things worse for Mumbai.
However, the biggest talking point of the match was the concussion substitution. Mitchell Santner was replaced by Shardul Thakur during Mumbai’s batting innings.
Santner got injured in the 17th over while fielding. He dived forward at deep square leg to take a catch of Kartik Sharma off Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling. During the effort, he landed awkwardly and hit his shoulder. Replays also showed that his head hit the ground.
The physios came onto the field quickly. Santner was seen holding his left shoulder and later walked off. He did not return to the field.
Shardul Thakur came in as the concussion substitute. But he could not make an impact. He scored only six runs from 12 balls.
Soon after, fans started questioning the decision. Pictures of Santner with an ice pack on his shoulder went viral. Many wondered why a concussion substitute was allowed for a shoulder injury.
MI coach explains the situation
Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene clarified the issue after the match.
“Santner hit his head first, the neck and obviously, the shoulder as well. He then went for a scan. Once he got back he felt dizziness so he was lying down. Yes, the ice was there for the shoulder, but he felt that he wasn’t stable, so we took him for a scan in that situation,” Jayawardene said, speaking in the post-match press conference.
“We requested a concussion sub. It’s at the match referee and the umpires’ discretion. They allowed Shardul Thakur. It is what it is. But hopefully, Santner’s injury isn’t too bad. Once he’s back, we’ll have a look at it,” he added.
As per IPL rules, a concussion substitute is allowed if a player suffers a head or neck injury. The match referee must approve it. The replacement should be like-for-like to avoid giving any unfair advantage.
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