Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Aiden Markram nearly pulled off a spectacular catch in today’s (May 4) IPL game, but the ball fell safely and touched his cap in the process. Here’s why SRH didn’t cop the usual five-run penalty for the incident.

Markram was attempting to complete a catch off Kolkata Knight Riders’ Shardul Thakur, who was on four at the time. Running back from the ring to try to take the catch, he stretched out his arms but barely got his fingertips to the ball by the time it fell to the ground. As Markram also tumbled over onto the floor, his Sunrisers’ orange cap fell off his head and onto the grass. The ball rolled into contact with the cap.

Other incidents where the ball comes into contact with items of clothing or equipment during play usually result in five-run penalties. The most frequent happening of this is when the ball comes into contact with a helmet left on the field, either discarded by a wicketkeeper or short-leg fielder. But, on this occasion, play went on with no extra runs added to KKR’s total.

According to Law 28.2.1.3, penalty runs will only be awarded when a fielder “discards a piece of clothing, equipment or any other object which subsequently makes contact with the ball.”

As Markram didn’t discard his hat (it fell off his head unintentionally), the subsequent Law 28.2.3 – “the umpire shall… award 5 Penalty runs to the batting side” – is not applicable.

This law differs from the one which covers the application of penalty runs when the ball hits a discarded helmet. Law 28.3.2 states: “If the ball while in play strikes the protective helmet… the ball shall immediately become dead and… the umpire shall award five penalty run to the batting side.”

Markram had already taken a spectacular catch in the game to dismiss Nitish Rana, diving in a similar way to his attempt against Thakur, but that time managing to cling on to the ball.

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