IPL 2026: Jason Holder Catch Controversy, Was Rajat Patidar Really Out?

Jason Holder’s controversial catch of RCB skipper Rajat Patidar during the Gujarat Titans vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL 2026 match 42 has left the fans and cricket pundits divided. A major debate has been doing the rounds among the cricket fraternity as everyone is giving mixed reactions.

The incident

It was a short ball bowled by GT’s left-arm pacer Arshad Khan during the eighth over of the innings to RCB skipper Rajat Patidar, who tried to pull it only to get a top edge. The ball was carried to the fine leg boundary, and Kagiso Rabada, who was at short fine leg, was seen chasing it. However, it was Jason Holder who was patrolling the deep square leg boundary and came running in to fine leg to complete a stunner of a catch and, in the process, avoided a possible collision with Kagiso Rabada. After the game, Holder explained about his catch and a possible collision with his teammate during the post-match press conference.

“Yeah, I did see him. I was just hoping that I didn’t run into him. I don’t know what would have happened if two big men had clashed. He was in my peripheral vision, but I felt he was far enough for me to go for the catch. My main focus was just to commit, make the attempt, and hold on to it.”

Well, the verdict from the on-field umpires was out, but many cricket experts, including Irfan Pathan, Aakash Chopra, and Abhinav Mukund, thought otherwise. They pointed out that Jason Holder appeared to ground the ball while sliding. Similar incidents have shaped rulings before—most notably during the Ashes at Lord’s, when a third umpire disallowed Mitchell Starc’s boundary effort after replays showed the ball scraping the turf as he slid. The verdict then was clear: Starc did not have complete control of his movements, and the catch could not be awarded.

What does the rule say?

As per cricket laws for fair catching, a catch is only complete when the fielder has full control of the ball and their body movement. Meaning, if the ball touches the ground while the fielder is still sliding or isn’t up on his feet, the verdict goes in favor of the batter, and he/she is deemed not out. As per law 33.3,

“A catch is only completed when the fielder has ‘complete control over the ball and his/her movement’. The ball cannot touch the ground before then.”

However, during Starc’s case, MCC rolled their explanation back then on a social media post stating,

“He was still sliding as the ball rubbed the ground, therefore he was not in control of his movement.”

Blunder by the on-field umpire?

As per the law, Rajat shouldn’t have been given out, and the blunder was made by the on-field umpires, who did not lend a helping hand from the third umpire. Once Holder got up and GT started celebrating the catch, the replays showed that the ball had been brushed on the turf while Holder was still sliding on the ground. The umpire clarified that ‘control of movement’ doesn’t mean a fielder must be stationary; players can be in motion and still demonstrate control. This means the umpire seemed to have acknowledged the fact that the catch was complete before Holder’s slide and fall, which surely is an injustice on account of Rajat Patidar.

What next for GT?

With a last night win against RCB by 4 wickets, the Titans have now moved to the 5th spot on the points table with 5 wins and 4 losses from 9 games. They next host the high-flying table-toppers, Punjab Kings, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, on Sunday, May 3.