A rare no-ball call under Law 27.3 led to a game-changing moment in the IPL 2025 clash between Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
In the seventh over of Mumbai Indians’ chase at Wankhede, Ryan Rickelton was dismissed after hitting Zeeshan Ansari straight to Pat Cummins at cover. SRH began celebrating what appeared to be a regulation dismissal — and a first IPL wicket for Ansari.
However, the on-field umpire soon signalled a no-ball after intervention from the fourth umpire. The reason: wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen’s gloves were positioned in front of the stumps at the point of contact between bat and ball.
According to the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) Laws of Cricket, specifically Law 27.3, a wicketkeeper is not permitted to be in front of the stumps before the ball touches the bat or the batter or passes the stumps.
Law 27.3.1:
“The wicketkeeper shall remain wholly behind the wicket at the striker’s end from the moment the ball comes into play until a ball either strikes the bat or person of the striker or passes the wicket at the striker’s end.”
If the wicketkeeper breaches this rule, the delivery is declared a no-ball under Law 27.3.2, which states:
“In the event of the wicketkeeper contravening this Law, the striker’s end umpire shall call and signal No ball.”
Because Klaasen’s gloves were ahead of the stumps when the ball hit Rickelton’s bat, the delivery was deemed illegal. The batter was called back, the wicket was cancelled, and a free hit was awarded to Mumbai Indians.
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This moment not only denied Zeeshan Ansari a debut wicket but also handed MI an extra scoring opportunity, potentially shifting momentum during a critical phase of the match.
While such instances are uncommon, they underline the level of scrutiny in modern cricket, especially with multiple cameras and a vigilant fourth umpire. SRH’s lapse served as a reminder that even minor positioning errors can lead to major consequences.
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