A lesser-known cricket rule became the centre of attention during the IPL 2025 match between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Wankhede Stadium. The moment unfolded in the 7th over of MI’s innings when Ryan Rickelton was caught by SRH skipper Pat Cummins off Zeeshan Ansari’s bowling.
However, the TV umpire intervened and reversed the decision after noticing that SRH wicket-keeper Heinrich Klaasen had moved his gloves in front of the stumps before the ball made contact with the batter.
According to the Marylebone Cricket Club’s (MCC) Law 27.3, the wicket-keeper must stay entirely behind the stumps until the ball either touches the batter or passes the stumps. The breach led to the delivery being declared a no-ball, handing MI a free-hit opportunity.
Varun Chakravarthy Criticizes the Rule
Following the incident, Indian spinner and Kolkata Knight Riders player Varun Chakravarthy voiced his disagreement with the current interpretation of the rule.
Sharing his thoughts on X (formerly Twitter), he suggested that such instances should not penalize the bowler.
“If the keeper’s gloves come in front of the stumps, it should be a dead ball and a warning to the keeper, not a no-ball and a free hit. What did the bowler do wrong?” he questioned, urging the cricketing community to re-examine the fairness of the rule. Chakravarthy’s remarks gained traction online, with many fans and experts echoing his sentiment that the punishment seems harsh when the bowler is not at fault.
Mumbai Indians Clinch Commanding Win
Despite the controversy, Mumbai Indians maintained their momentum in the tournament by defeating SRH with a convincing four-wicket victory. Will Jacks played a key role, contributing 36 runs off 26 balls, while also delivering an effective spell of 2 wickets for 14 runs in 3 overs. MI’s bowlers smartly used variations and executed yorkers efficiently to restrict SRH to 163.
During the chase, MI’s batsmen displayed a clear strategy, consistently finding boundaries and capitalizing on SRH’s decision not to introduce spin early on. Ultimately, the home side chased down the target in 18.1 overs, finishing at 166/6 and securing their third win of the season.
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