Match Referee Goofs Up As Toss Happens Twice in GT vs RR IPL 2026 Qualifier 2 (Watch Video)

High drama unfolded before a single ball was bowled at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Friday night as the toss for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 Qualifier 2 between Gujarat Titans (GT) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) had to be conducted twice due to a technical error by a match official. The unusual incident occurred when Match Referee Prakash Bhatt failed to hear the verbal call made during the initial coin flip. You can read the Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals match scorecard here.

Drama At IPL 2026 Qualifier 2

When the coin was flipped into the air as instructed by broadcaster representative Ravi Shastri, Parag made his call. As confirmed by Gill, Match Referee Bhatt declared that he failed to hear Parag's call. After a bit of confusion, Bhatt instructed both players to reset and ordered the toss to be conducted for a second time. On the second flip, Rajasthan won the toss and Parag elected to bowl first, bringing an end to the brief administrative deadlock.

Historical Context of Toss Disputes

While highly unusual, a duplicated toss is not entirely unique in elite cricket. A similar incident famously occurred during the 2011 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Final at the Wankhede Stadium between India and Sri Lanka, where crowd noise prevented match referee Jeff Crowe from hearing Kumar Sangakkara's call, forcing MS Dhoni to flip the coin again.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 29, 2026 07:22 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).