Sanju Samson warned mid-game as umpire walks to him, issues caution: ‘You can't do that... unless it turns into WACA’

Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson was warned by the umpire in the middle of the IPL 2025 match against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday, which caused a slight delay in the match. It happened towards the fag end of Delhi's innings as the hosts set a target of 189 runs against Rajasthan.

The incident occurred on the final ball of the penultimate over when Jofra Archer bowled a slower bouncer against Ashutosh Sharma. The umpire immediately signalled it as a wide ball before the on-field match officials approached Samson to issue a caution. The replay of the delivery then showed that Samson was standing almost on the edge of the 30-yard circle. The umpires had a quick chat with the Rajasthan captain as Samson was seen animatedly explaining his stance.

Former England cricketer Graeme Swann, who was in the commentary box at the time of the incident, said: "You can't do that. You have to be in a place to catch the ball. You can't go and stand on the edge of the ring, even though it's Jofra Archer. And that's what Samson will be saying now. He bowls 147. Mate, this is where I've got to stand.

"But you can't just do it for that one delivery. It's a bit obvious. Just in case the wicket turns into WACA all of a sudden. That's absolutely not going to happen here at the Arun Jaitley Stadium," he laughed.

Delhi set 189-run target vs RR

A collective batting effort saw Delhi post a mammoth 188/5 against Rajasthan Royals, with Abishek Porel top-scoring with his well-composed 49. Porel and KL Rahul (38) laid a solid foundation with a 63-run stand, before Axar Patel's blistering 13-ball 34, along with Tristan Stubbs’ (34 no off 18 balls) late surge, provided the final flourish in an innings where momentum swung like a pendulum between the two sides.