A no-ball was given as MI had just three fielders on the off-side |courtesy - BCCI/IPL
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Mumbai Indians were punished by the umpires with a rare no-ball
- The incident happened in the 5th over
- MI had six fielders on the leg-side
The virtual knockout clash between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Delhi Capitals (DC) saw a never-seen-before moment as the home side were punished by the umpire with a rare no-ball for having just three fielders on the off-side.
The incident happened on the third ball of the fifth over, bowled by Will Jacks. The umpires were quick to notice a major error by Hardik Pandya as the five-time champions had just three fielders on the off-side. All of them were inside the ring. This meant that the hosts kept six fielders on the leg-side and five were outside the ring.
Why Did Umpire Give A No-Ball?
The decision to give a no-ball came because a team is not allowed to have more than five fielders on the leg-side. The rules also state that a team is not allowed to have more than two fielders behind the stumps on the on-side, which could have also been an issue with MI's leg-side dominant field.
As per section 28.4 (limitation of on-side fielders) of the IPL's playing conditions -
"At the instant of delivery, there may not be more than 5 fielders on the on side," says section 28.4.1.
At the instant of the bowler’s delivery there shall not be more than two fielders, other than the wicket-keeper, behind the popping crease on the on side. A fielder will be considered to be behind the popping crease unless the whole of his person whether grounded or in the air is in front of this line," says section 28.4.2.
The incident proved costly for MI as Vipraj Nigam thrashed Will Jacks for a six on the free-hit and smashed the next two balls for boundaries.
However, it ultimately proved to be a moment that MI will not ponder much, as they won the game by 59 runs and sealed their place in the playoffs.
