IPL: Why the last-ball finish in SRH vs RR is a warning sign for a ...

Who can forget the ODI World Cup final at Lord’s between England and New Zealand, when the champions were decided based on who scored more boundaries? Certainly not Jimmy Neesham. In October 2019 the rules were changed to scrap the boundary countback and introduce multiple Super Overs in case of a tie, followed by a tie. It prompted Neesham to tweet: “Next on the agenda: Better binoculars for the ice-spotters on the Titanic.”

Indeed, it needed a ridiculous ending to the biggest match in the sport for ICC to realise the most basic aspect: a game of cricket should ideally always be decided by who scores at least a run more than the opponent.

Another change waiting to happen…

Which brings us to another loophole in a rulebook that is crying out to be changed. On Thursday in Hyderabad, Rovman Powell was on strike when Rajasthan Royals needed 2 runs off 1 ball to defeat Sunrisers Hyderabad. However, he ended up missing a straight full toss. The umpire lifted the finger and in that instance SRH had won the match. It didn’t matter Powell and RR had reviews left. It didn’t even matter if the umpire got it right or wrong. It didn’t matter that Powell and Ashwin had completed a run that would have tied the match.

Jumps of Joy in Hyderabad ????

Terrific turn of events from @SunRisers‘ bowlers as they pull off a nail-biting win ????

Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/zRmPoMjvsd #TATAIPL | #SRHvRR pic.twitter.com/qMDgjkJ4tc

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 2, 2024

Now imagine if the ball had hit Powell’s bat and went for four instead of the pads, and the umpire had still given him out, wrongly. It wouldn’t have mattered even though RR would have legitimately won the match based on the simple fact that the batter *hit* the ball for four. Why? Because the existing rule states that “a ball is dead… (20.1.1.3) when a batter is dismissed. The ball will be deemed to be dead from the instant of the incident causing the dismissal.”

So, RR wouldn’t have had any joy even if the review showed the umpire was wrong, because the ball was deemed dead the moment the umpire made up his mind to give it out. It is not a problem just with the last ball of the innings, but it is the most striking scenario possible for this loophole. (Earlier in the match, the batting side still has deliveries left to make up).

The IPL 2019 final that still haunts many CSK fans is the closest we have perhaps come to this scenario determining the winner or losers of a trophy. When Shardul Thakur was given out LBW in the exact same scenario (2 off 1 needed) off Lasith Malinga’s bowling, CSK didn’t have a review left and it looked pretty plumb anyway. But imagine the outrage if Thakur had gotten an inside edge or the ball went down the leg stump that night.

What could possibly be done?

One of the suggestions that seem most logical in this scenario came from Dale Steyn on Thursday night.

“We need to basically play in baseball style,” South Africa legend wrote on X in a reply after the SRH vs RR match. “Consider the ball not dead until play has come to a stop. So essentially, run if you’re the batting team and continue to field if you’re the bowling team. Then we address the LBW or caught off no ball etc after. Out if out, runs awarded if LBW or caught was not out.”

It seems the easiest fix. The other solution that is perhaps more difficult to implement would be to have the bowler rebowl the delivery every time an umpire gets an out decision wrong, at the very least in white-ball cricket. To penalise the batting team for an umpire’s mistake, honest as it may be, is a rule that is waiting to be changed all the same.