The Indian Premier League witnessed one of its most dramatic, controversy-filled finishes when Rajasthan Royals faced off against Delhi Capitals, with a lengthy delay and several protests over a high full toss that was not called a no ball.
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The flashpoint came on the third ball of the final over. In a run-filled contest, Delhi Capitals needed 36 to win off the final six balls, with Rovman Powell hitting the first two balls of the 20th over for six to keep Rishabh Pant’s side theoretically in the hunt.
Their task would have become significantly easier had the third ball of the over, a high full toss which was also hit for six, been called a no ball, leaving them with 17 needed to win off four balls with a free hit to come. A lengthy delay followed the delivery, with both on-field batters protesting the decision and a member of the Delhi Capitals coaching staff, Pravin Amre, taking the field to continue the discussion. The delivery was replayed several times on the big screen, but there was no check from the TV umpire over the legality of the delivery.
Pant vented his frustration with the decision after Delhi Capitals’ defeat. “I thought that no-ball could have been precious for us,” he said in the post-match presentation. “I thought we could have checked that no-ball, but [that is] not in my control. Yes, disappointed, but can’t do much about it.”
Pant has since been fined 100 percent of his match fee, with Amre receiving a one-game ban. The team’s actions came under significant scrutiny, including from Shane Watson, a member of the Capitals’ coaching team. “In the end, the one thing at the Delhi Capitals you don’t stand for is what happened,” he said. “The umpires’ decision, whether it’s right, wrong, we have to accept it. Someone running onto the field certainly we can’t accept. It’s not good enough.”
On the decision itself, there are two key facets of the IPL playing conditions. ‘Waist height’ is defined as “the point at which the top of the batter’s trousers would conventionally be when he is standing upright at the popping crease”. That Powell was crouching slightly as he played the shot and hit the ball in front of his body both make the decision a complicated one.
Also relevant are the conditions regarding when a TV umpire review can take place. While every delivery is checked for a front- and back-foot no ball, under the conditions of Appendix D, which covers the Decision Review System, the on-field umpire can only call for a TV umpire review when a wicket has fallen, to check whether a boundary has been successfully saved, or to see if the ball has come into contact over the field of play. Therefore, with Powell having hit the delivery in question for six, there was no recourse available in the playing conditions for reviewing its legality or otherwise.
