The Women's Premier League (WPL) 2025 witnessed another exciting match on February 15, Saturday. Delhi Capitals pulled off a heist against the Mumbai Indians in a nail-biting, last-ball thriller at Vadodara's Kotambi Stadium, winning by two wickets.
Run-out controversy in WPL 2025
However, the thrilling contest was overshadowed by a controversy in its final moments. Three run-out calls, all adjudged by the third umpire in the last three overs, impacted the game's outcome. In each of these instances, TV umpire Gayathri Venugopalan declared the batter not out, drawing considerable criticism and raising questions about the rules surrounding LED bails.
It all started in the 18th over when a direct hit on the striker's end appeared to have caught Shikha Pandey short of her crease. Replays suggested Pandey's bat was on the line when the LED light on the stumps illuminated. Despite this, the third umpire, after reviewing the replay multiple times, declared Pandey not out, reportedly basing the decision on a later frame. Adding insult to injury for Mumbai Indians (MI), Delhi Capitals (DC) managed to secure a run after the ball deflected off Pandey's bat. This decision visibly angered MI captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who engaged in a heated discussion with the on-field umpires.
The controversy continued in the penultimate over with Radha Yadav at the center of another contentious call. Following a mix-up with Nikki Prasad, Yadav found herself in a precarious position as wicket-keeper Yastika Bhatia dislodged the stumps. Replays showed Yadav's bat hovering in the air as the LED stumps lit up. Yet again, the third umpire ruled in favor of the batter, this time apparently basing the decision on the precise moment the bails were completely dislodged from the stumps.
Adding to Mumbai's frustration, Radha Yadav then compounded their woes by hitting a six on the final ball of the over, reducing the required runs to 10 from 6, with Delhi needing 16 runs off 7 balls. The drama reached its peak on the very last ball of the match. With Delhi Capitals needing two runs to win, Arundhati Reddy dove full-length to complete a second run as Mumbai Indians attempted a run-out, hoping to force a super over. Replays once again indicated that Reddy's bat was on the line when the Zing bails illuminated. However, the third umpire remained consistent with her earlier decisions and declared Reddy not out, sealing the victory for Delhi and sparking further debate about the application of the rules.
What does the rules suggest?
The controversy surrounding the run-out decisions in the WPL match germinated from a discrepancy between the third umpire's interpretations and the established rules. While the umpire seemed to be basing her decisions on the precise moment she visually perceived the bails as being completely dislodged from the stumps, the official playing conditions of the WPL clearly stipulate that run-out decisions should be determined by the moment the LED lights on the Zing bails illuminate.
"When using a replay to determine the moment at which the wicket has been put down (as per clause 29.1), the third umpire shall deem this to be the first frame in which one of the bails is shown (or can be deduced) to have lost all contact with the top of the stumps and subsequent frames show the bail permanently removed from the top of the stumps," states rule 4.1 of Appendix D of WPL 2025's playing conditions.
"Where LED Wickets are used (as provided for in paragraph 3.8.1.5) the moment at which the wicket has been put down (as per clause 29.1) shall be deemed to be the first frame in which the LED lights are illuminated and subsequent frames show the bail permanently removed from the top of the stumps," states rule 4.1 of Appendix D of WPL 2025's playing conditions.