A 2017 change in the Laws of Cricket helped Harmanpreet Kaur survive a run out appeal in the WPL 2024 Eliminator.
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Royal Challengers Bangalore were in tatters at 49-4 in the 10th over after Smriti Mandhana opted to bat in the WPL 2024 Eliminator at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Ellyse Perry (66 in 50 balls) then lifted them to 135-6 as Hayley Mathews (2-18), Nat Sciver-Brunt (2-18), and Saika Ishaque (2-27) shared the wickets.
Mumbai Indians began their response cautiously, and captain Harmanpreet Kaur walked out at 50-2 after eight overs. Sophie Molineux bowled the ninth over, and Nat Sciver-Brunt played out the first two balls before flicking the third and setting off for a single.
Kaur responded, and dived as the throw came in. She dived full length and made it, but the impact with the ground resulted in the bat bouncing up in the air as the bails came off. Television umpire Pashchim Pathak ruled Kaur not out.
Nearly another bizarre Harmanpreet Kaur runout in a "semifinal" , she's saved by the bat being grounded before it went up in the air. #WPL2024 pic.twitter.com/7pBQv6CiUD
— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) March 15, 2024
This was the correct decision, for the MCC had amended Law 30 in 2017. The change read: “Law 30 (Batsman out of his/her ground) has been amended to give protection to a running or diving batsman whose bat bounces up after having been grounded beyond the popping crease.”
Law 30.1.2, in its current form, 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.”
In 2023, Kaur was run out twice in international cricket when her bat had got stuck in the ground – in the T20 World Cup semi-final against Australia and the Test match against England. However, on neither occasion had she made the ground.
In the Eliminator, Mumbai were 91-3 in 15 overs with Kaur (21) and Amelia Kerr (7) at the crease at the time of writing. They need 43 in 30 balls.
