Table of Contents
Match 33 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 witnessed a moment of high drama at the Wankhede Stadium when Mumbai Indians’ (MI) opener Ryan Rickelton was given a lifeline despite what appeared to be a legitimate catch by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) skipper Pat Cummins.
Pat Cummins takes a brilliant catch of Ryan Rickelton
During the seventh over of MI’s run chase of 163, SRH spinner Zeeshan Ansari delivered a short ball that Rickelton cracked towards short cover. SRH captain Cummins dived forward and claimed a clean catch, prompting Rickelton to start walking off. With Suryakumar Yadav approaching the crease, it seemed like a straightforward dismissal—until the fourth umpire stepped in.
Reason why Rickelton was given not out
As the umpire stopped Rickelton, a review followed, and to everyone’s surprise, the third umpire called it a no-ball and summoned the South African batter back to bat. The surprising decision was due to a technical breach by wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen. Upon replay, it was evident that Klaasen’s gloves were marginally in front of the stumps at the point of delivery—a violation of Law 27.3.1 under the MCC guidelines. This rule clearly states that the keeper must stay completely behind the stumps until the ball is either hit, passes the stumps, or a run is attempted. Because of this infraction, the delivery was ruled illegal, the catch was voided, and MI were awarded a free hit.
Also READ: Fans react as Mumbai Indians clinch a hard-fought win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2025
The third umpire’s verdict was rooted in Law 27.3.1 of the MCC laws of cricket, which is designed to ensure wicketkeepers don’t gain undue advantage by stepping in too early. Even though Klaasen didn’t touch the ball, his glove position ahead of the stumps was enough to nullify the delivery.
Given a second chance while batting on 21, Rickelton added 10 more runs with a couple of crisp boundaries before falling for 31 off 23 balls to Harshal Patel. His contribution, along with Will Jacks’ 36 and quick-fire 26-run knocks from both Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar, ensured MI comfortably chased down the 163-run target with 11 balls remaining, clinching a four-wicket win.
