Varun Chakaravarthy Questions MI vs SRH No-Ball Decision in IPL 2025 Thriller

The 2025 season of the Indian Premier League continues to deliver drama and controversy, with the recent clash between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) stirring debate over a controversial no-ball decision. The incident has sparked reactions from players and fans alike, with KKR spinner Varun Chakaravarthy also joining the chorus of confusion and criticism.

Controversial No-Ball: Klaasen’s Error, Rickelton’s Lifeline

During the tense run-chase of 163 runs at the Wankhede Stadium, MI opener Ryan Rickelton found himself at the center of a bizarre moment. On 21 off 18 balls, he appeared to be dismissed off a delivery from SRH’s young spinner Zeeshan Ansari in the seventh over. However, the third umpire intervened and reversed the decision, declaring the delivery a no-ball.

The call wasn’t due to a conventional overstepping error but because SRH wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen’s gloves were marginally ahead of the stumps at the time of the delivery. According to the laws of the game, this was deemed a technical infringement, thus handing MI a free hit and a reprieve for Rickelton, who was called back after starting to walk off the field. He eventually scored 31 off 23 balls and played a key role in MI’s four-wicket victory.

Varun Chakaravarthy Reacts: ‘Should’ve Been a Dead Ball’

Following the incident, KKR’s Varun Chakaravarthy expressed his displeasure on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), questioning the interpretation of the rules.

“If the keeper’s gloves come in front of the stumps, it should be a dead ball and a warning to the keeper so that he doesn’t do that again!!! Not a no ball and a free hit!! What did the bowler do?” he posted.

He added, “Thinking out loud!! What do you all think???”

Chakaravarthy’s comments reflect a growing sentiment among players that certain technicalities are unfairly punishing bowlers, despite no fault of their own. The situation has also reignited the debate on how such rare incidents should be officiated to ensure fairness and consistency.

Mumbai Indians Bounce Back with Back-to-Back Wins

The victory over SRH marked MI’s second consecutive win in IPL 2025, reviving their campaign after a shaky start. Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 21 and Jasprit Bumrah’s tight spell of 1/21 in four overs were instrumental in guiding MI to 166/6 in 18.1 overs.

With the league stage heating up, MI now look to build momentum in their bid to reach the playoffs. Meanwhile, the SRH camp will look to regroup after the contentious loss, hoping to bounce back in their next outing.

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