"Umpires Were Letting It Be Slow": MCC Head's Huge Remark On Stretched MI vs RCB Game In IPL 2026
The RCB vs MI match on Sunday was concluded in four hours and 22 minutes, way more than it usually takes for a T20 game to be completed.
- RCB vs MI match was concluded in 4 hours and 22 minutes, way more than it usually takes for a T20 game to end
- "It's a real issue. How slow it was, with so many stoppages," said Fraser Stewart, MCC's head of cricket
- "The umpires were letting it be slow. I think it's an umpire's job to try to keep the game moving," he added
Time management took a backseat as defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru and five-time winners Mumbai Indians faced each other in an IPL 2026 game at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. The match was concluded in four hours and 22 minutes, way more than it usually takes for a T20 game to be completed. Multiple interruptions during the game extended its overall duration. However, this is not the only contest in the IPL which has gone beyond four hours. While the captains of the sides receive penalties if they fail to bowl their respective 20 overs in time, the issue still persists in the tournament.
Fraser Stewart, head of cricket at the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), was also in attendance during the match. Commenting on the stretched game, he came up with a new suggestion for the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
"It's a real issue. We were there for the game. What struck us was the pace - how slow it was, with so many stoppages. In The Hundred, a wicket falls and a 60-second clock starts. The next batter must be ready or the team concedes five penalty runs. I know it's hotter here and people have to have drinks and stuff, but there were just so many people running on and off the pitch all the time. There was no urgency," Stewart said at an event in Mumbai as quoted by Times of India.
Stewart held the umpires responsible for the delays in the game.
"The umpires were letting it be slow. I think it's an umpire's job to try to keep the game moving, but when every break is an advertising potential for the billions that are watching, you can see why," Stewart said.
He added that umpires should be fined in such cases.
"The laws allow warnings and five-run penalties, but umpires are reluctant to enforce them. One suggestion is to fine umpires if over-rates are poor - that might ensure games move along," he added.
In the contest, RCB registered an 18-run victory over MI. It was the third consecutive defeat for the Hardik Pandya-led side.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Mumbai Indians