The 2025 edition of the Women’s Premier League has already lived up to the hype.
While the tournament opener saw a competition-record total gunned down with ease, the second was a proper thriller, won by Delhi Capitals on the last ball, with a TV umpire decision needed to adjudicate the final run out.
However, there was some contention over the decision, and two others in the preceding overs, that overshadowed the Capitals victory. With one, in adjudicating an appeal against Radha Yadav, the debate was over not just whether she was in her ground at the time the wicket was broken, but also whether her bat had previously been grounded across the crease before bouncing up. As Law 30.1.2 states: “a batter shall not be considered to be out of his/her ground if, in running or diving towards his/her ground and beyond, and having grounded some part of his/her person or bat beyond the popping crease, there is subsequent loss of contact between the ground and any part of his/her person or bat, or between the bat and person.”
India great Mithali Raj, speaking on commentary, felt that a mistake was made. “We can see the blade of the bat up,” she said. “It is nowhere touching any part of the ground [inside] the crease. That means she is out. The bat was never in the crease.”
The other two decisions were, in a way, more interesting, highlighting an important distinction between the MCC’s Laws of Cricket and the playing conditions commonly seen at the top level in white-ball cricket. In the Laws of Cricket and the WPL playing conditions, it is stated that “The wicket is broken when at least one bail is completely removed from the top of the stumps, one or more stumps is removed from the ground.”
However, the WPL playing conditions clarify that: “Where LED Wickets are used (as provided the moment at which the wicket has been put down (as per clause 29.1) shall be deemed to be the first frame in which the LED lights are illuminated and subsequent frames show the bail permanently removed from the top of the stumps.”
This is what was in contention in the other two decisions, with the TV umpire heard asking for “one more frame” even after the stumps had become illuminated, and stating, in the case of the final ball appeal, that “batter has made her ground before the wicket has become completely dislodged,” which is not the key moment as per the playing conditions.
“Not sure why the umpire tonight has decided that the zinger bails are not applicable?” questioned Mike Hesson, one of T20 cricket’s most experienced coaches. “Once bails lights up connection is lost therefore wicket is broken! That is in the playing conditions! Have seen more confusion in last 10 mins than ever before”.
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