Watch: There was a bizarre moment in the IPL 2021 final between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders, with the long-awaited first breakthrough in the chase chalked off after the ball hit spidercam.
CSK had to bide their time in their defence of 193 to win, with Venkatesh Iyer and Shubman Gill putting on a half-century stand for the first wicket. They thought they had dismissed Gill in the 10th over, with the highly-rated opener skying an attempted slog-sweep and Ambati Rayudu settling under the swirling chance.
However, a delay followed, and at first it wasn’t clear why, with the on-air commentators suggesting a no-ball check was in progress. It soon became apparent that it wasn’t what happened before the ball was delivered that was the issue, but after, with Gill’s shot hitting one of spidercam’s wires on its way back down to earth.
In a way, that made Rayudu’s grab all the more impressive, as he had to adjust at the last minute following the deflection, but it also meant the dismissal couldn’t stand, something the IPL playing conditions for dead ball make clear.
Clause 20.1.3 reads as follows: “In a match where cameras are being used on or over the field of play (e.g. Spidercam), should a ball that has been hit by the batsman make contact, while still in play, with the camera, its apparatus or its cable, either umpire shall call and signal ‘dead ball’.”
There were echoes of an incident in last year’s tournament, with Rajasthan Royals’ Jaydev Unadkat given out despite an apparent deflection.
It seemed as if the moment might be a crucial one. Gill hit his next two balls for four, and while Iyer fell in the next over, Gill carried on to a half-century. However, CSK rallied to secure a 27-run win, securing their fourth IPL title.
