Replays showed that Tom Curran’s foot was well behind the line. (Source: Hotstar screenshot)
Umpiring blunders in IPL 2018 took centre-stage once again on Wednesday during the match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens. It was the 16th over of the Mumbai innings and Tom Curran was the bowler. The fifth ball of the over was given as no-ball for overstepping by umpire KN Ananthapadmanabhan. Curran seemed to miffed by it but went back to his mark. Replays showed that Curran had almost half his foot behind the crease. But even after that, the umpires stuck with the decision and it was an extra run and free hit for the Mumbai Indians.
Here’s what the rule says.
21.5 Fair delivery – the feet
For a delivery to be fair in respect of the feet, in the delivery stride
21.5.1 the bowler’s back foot must land within and not touching the return crease appertaining to his/her stated mode of delivery.
21.5.2 the bowler’s front foot must land with some part of the foot, whether grounded or raised
– on the same side of the imaginary line joining the two middle stumps as the return crease described in 21.5.1, and
– behind the popping crease.
If the bowler’s end umpire is not satisfied that all of these three conditions have been met, he/she shall call and signal No ball. See Law 41.8 (Bowling of deliberate front foot No ball).
There was a case of broadcasters showing the wrong replay to the third umpire during Royal Challengers Bangalore’s match against Mumbai Indians on April 17. In that instance, Jasprit Bumrah was the bowler and he had claimed the wicket of Umesh Yadav. The umpires went upstairs to see if he had overstepped and the third umpire saw a footage in which Bumrah was safe. But it turned out to be the wrong footage and he had, in reality, overstepped. In this case, while there is yet to be any official word, the real-time footage makes it look like Tom Curran and KKR have reason to feel undone by the umpire’s decision.