Pressure can do strange things to even champions and Virat Kohli showed he’s a mere mortal at Eden Gardens on Sunday.

The Orange Cap holder in IPL 2024 is under intense scrutiny for his strike-rate ahead of the squad selection for the T20 World Cup.

Following his 42 off 20 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kohli got off to a fluent start again — 18 off seven — when he was adjudged caught and bowled by Harshit Rana. Kohli immediately reviewed it for a no-ball bringing the height into question.

A greater willingness to smack over the top had prompted Kohli to stand outside his crease. The ball seemed to be dipping into him, though it appeared to be above the waist at the point of contact.

TV umpire Michael Gough ruled the ball as legitimate according to the new Hawk-Eye ball-tracking technology. The ball would then have passed him at 0.92m from the ground if Kohli was upright at the crease. The height of Kohli’s waist had earlier been measured at 1.04m, which means the ball would have passed below his waist had he been inside the crease and not outside.

A furious Kohli challenged the on-field umpires after the verdict and banged his bat near the dressing room. He was seen indulging in a fresh round of argument with the umpires after the match.

“Obviously, rules are rules,” Fa du Plessis said. “We thought that possibly the ball was higher than his waist.”