IPL 2024: From Kohli's No-Ball to Dubious Wide Calls – Umpiring Under Scrutiny

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The 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) has been delivering a blend of high-octane drama, exhilarating nail-biters and the occasional heart-wrenching defeats. Amidst the riveting action, the 17th edition of the tournament has also witnessed some rather questionable umpiring decisions, with players actively engaging with umpires, challenging decisions ranging from overlooked wides to contentious no-balls.

Let's delve into these instances where umpiring decisions have come under scrutiny and criticism:

Noor Ahmad's Catch (DC vs GT, Match 40)

IPL 2024 | From no-balls to wides, let's delve into instances where umpiring decisions have come under scrutiny.

A controversy erupted during the 40th match between Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans. In the fourth over of the game, DC batter Prithvi Shaw pulled a short ball towards midwicket off Sandeep Warrier, where Noor Ahmad executed a brilliant diving catch.

However, doubts arose regarding the legitimacy of the catch, compelling the on-field umpires to refer it to the third umpire for verification. After reviewing multiple angles, the catch was deemed legitimate, resulting in Shaw being dismissed for 11 off 7 balls.

Despite numerous replays, some fans remained unconvinced about the catch's legitimacy, leading to widespread outrage on social media. Commenting on the game, Parthiv Patel was also of the opinion that the ball had touched the ground.

Wide Ball by Yash Thakur (CSK vs LSG, Match 39)

During the 39th match of the tournament between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), an incident unfolded in the 18th over. LSG's fast bowler, Yash Thakur geared up to deliver the first ball of the over to Shivam Dube. Attempting a wide yorker, Thakur's delivery veered outside the tram line, prompting the umpire to signal a wide.

This decision didn't sit well with LSG's wicket keeper and captain, KL Rahul, who visibly expressed his discontent and opted to review the call. A heated exchange ensued between Rahul and the umpire, with both parties attempting to justify their perspectives. Not stopping there, Rahul exchanged words with Dube before returning to his position.

Ultimately, the on-field decision stood as the TV umpire confirmed that the ball had marginally breached the wide line. Thus, the wide call remained unchanged.

No-Ball Controversy ft. Virat Kohli (RCB vs KKR, Match 36)

Perhaps the most talked-about umpiring decision of IPL 2024 was Virat Kohli’s dismissal against Kolkata Knight Riders in the 36th match of the league.

In the third over of the chase, Kohli was deemed caught and bowled by Harshit Rana to what seemed like a waist-high full-toss, prompting expectations of a no-ball call. Kohli challenged the decision immediately, but the newly-incorporated ball tracking system indicated that the ball had dipped sufficiently and would have been below waist height had Kohli been in his usual batting stance.

Kohli's position outside the crease played a crucial role in the decision. Although the ball was above waist height at the point of impact, the trajectory analysis suggested that had Kohli stayed within his crease, it wouldn't have surpassed waist height.

However, Kohli was agitated by the decision, expressing his frustration with the umpire, resulting in a 50 per cent fine on his match fees.

Multiple Questionable Calls (MI vs PBKS, Match 33)

In the 33rd match of the league between Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians, a series of contentious umpiring decisions stirred up the game's dynamics.

During the 15th over of the first innings, PBKS pacer Arshdeep Singh delivered a wide yorker to Suryakumar Yadav, who remained positioned on the leg side and couldn't reach the ball. Surprisingly, the umpire refrained from calling it a wide.

Amidst this, members of the MI camp – Kieron Pollard and Tim David – were observed reviewing the replay and signaling to their batter for a review and were each fined 20 percent of their respective match fees for their involvement. Subsequently, upon review, the delivery was rightfully deemed wide. However, PBKS captain Sam Curran was visibly furious at this turn of events.

In another instance during the same game, in the 19th over, Sam Curran bowled a delivery outside off to which Tim David stretched. Initially not considered a wide, the batter decided to challenge the decision. Upon review, replays indicated that the ball had passed under David's bat, with the third umpire Nitin Menon declaring it a wide. However, it's worth noting that according to IPL rules, a delivery cannot be called wide if it's within the batter's reach.

Wriddhiman Saha's LBW (GT vs PBKS, Match 17)

In the 17th match of the tournament between Gujarat Titans and Punjab Kings, umpire Vineet Kulkarni made a swift decision to signal Wriddhiman Saha out before the DRS view was consulted which drew him flak.

On the first delivery of the second over, Arshdeep delivered a good length ball that swung into the right-hander, narrowly missing the inside edge and striking Saha's back pad. Umpire Kulkarni wasted no time in raising his finger, resulting in Saha to opt for a review.

Initially, it appeared that the ball might be sailing over the stumps due to its trajectory. However, upon closer inspection, it became evident that although the ball pitched and impacted in line, it ultimately missed the leg stump due to its height.

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