The Incident
The match was between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals in the WPL 2025. In the final over, the on-field umpire referred three run-out instances to the third umpire. In all three cases, the bat was on the crease line when the LED stumps first lit up. However, the umpire made the decision based on the bails being dislodged, when the bat was already in the crease. These decisions went against Mumbai, prompting anger from captain Harmanpreet Kaur.
The New Rule
According to ESPNcricinfo, the Women’s Premier League has now informed the teams that umpires will only consider a run-out or stumping as a wicket when the bails are completely dislodged. Previously, the stumps were considered broken as soon as the bails lit up. Under the new rules, this is no longer the case; the frame where the bails are removed will be reviewed.
Teams Informed Later
The report also states that the rule change was implemented because the bails batch lights up even with minimal contact. Third umpire Gayatri Venugopalan made her decisions according to this new rule, sparking the debate. It has now emerged that the TV umpires were informed of the new rule before the match, while both teams were informed later.