• The Indian Premier League 2025 season has found itself in the middle of a fresh umpiring controversy.

  • Delhi Capitals’ Mitchell Starc was penalised for a backfoot no-ball during the Super Over against Rajasthan Royals.

IPL 2025: Fans express outrage as Mitchell Starc’s no-ball during DC vs RR reignites umpiring double standards debate
IPL 2025 (Image Source: X)

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The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season has found itself in the middle of a fresh umpiring controversy after Delhi Capitals’ Mitchell Starc was penalised for a backfoot no-ball during the Super Over against Rajasthan Royals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.

Mitchell Starc’s backfoot no-ball sparks umpiring controversy during super over thriller

Starc, who was instrumental in dragging the match to a Super Over with his outstanding final over, was surprisingly called for a no-ball on the fourth delivery of the Super Over – this time, not for overstepping, but for breaching the return crease with his back foot. The moment quickly escalated on social media, with many fans zooming into the visuals and pointing out how Starc’s back foot had landed on or slightly outside the return crease. The umpires promptly ruled it a no-ball, which added an extra run to Rajasthan’s tally and gifted them a free hit. While Starc eventually conceded just 11 runs in that Super Over, which Delhi chased down in just four balls, the debate was far from over.

Despite the controversy, the Super Over clash between DC and RR proved to be a sensational contest. Delhi, after putting up a solid 188/5 in their 20 overs, saw Rajasthan match their total, ending at 188/4. In the Super Over, Starc came back to bowl again and held Rajasthan to just 11 runs, despite the contentious no-ball. KL Rahul and Tristan Stubbs then finished the job clinically for DC, scoring 12 in just four balls, handing the Capitals their fifth win in six matches and pushing them to the top of the table.

Also READ: Breakdown of Mitchell Starc’s IPL salary since debut

Social media erupts over ‘double standards’ in the IPL 2025

As the Mitchell Starc no-ball call gained traction, fans on X (formerly Twitter) started digging up footage from previous matches, and one name that went viral was Mumbai Indians‘ uncapped spinner Vignesh Puthur. Several posts showcased screenshots of Puthur delivering back-to-back balls where his back foot appeared to land well outside the return crease.

The visuals clearly showed his foot skimming or stepping over the return crease without any call from the on-field umpires, sparking allegations of inconsistency. While some fans argued that Starc’s delivery deserved to be penalized as per the rulebook, others questioned the selective application of rules, alleging that umpires had turned a blind eye during Puthur’s over for Mumbai Indians. The issue snowballed, with several viral posts comparing the two incidents side by side.

Here’s how fans reacted:

Also READ: IPL 2025: Alyssa Healy’s bold one-word reaction captures Mitchell Starc’s brilliance for Delhi Capitals

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