In a dramatic twist at the Wankhede Stadium, IPL 2025 witnessed one of its most bizarre moments when Mumbai Indians opener Ryan Rickelton, who had seemingly been dismissed, was called back due to a technical breach by Sunrisers Hyderabad’s wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen. The incident, steeped in cricketing nuance, not only left fans puzzled but also underlined the importance of adhering to the MCC Laws of the game.
What Exactly Happened? Klaasen’s Glove Violation
The unusual sequence unfolded in the seventh over of Mumbai Indians’ chase, when left-handed batter Ryan Rickelton slashed a wide delivery from SRH spinner Zeeshan Ansari, only to be caught brilliantly by Pat Cummins at cover. Rickelton, convinced he was out, began the long walk back to the dugout. The Sunrisers erupted in celebration, and with the game heading into an ad break, few expected what was about to come next.
However, the alert third umpire spotted something amiss. A replay angle from the striker’s end revealed that Klaasen, SRH’s seasoned wicketkeeper, had made a subtle but crucial error—a part of his gloves had breached the stumps before Rickelton made contact with the ball. According to Law 27.3 of the MCC rulebook, this positioning constitutes a no-ball, as the wicketkeeper must remain wholly behind the stumps until the ball either touches the bat, the batter, or passes the stumps.
Law 27.3 – A Rule Few Knew, But Many Will Remember
As per MCC’s Law 27.3.1, a wicketkeeper cannot have any part of his body or gloves in front of the stumps before the ball is played or passes the batter. Violation of this rule prompts the umpire to call a no-ball. This is exactly what transpired, and Rickelton was reinstated to continue his innings with a free-hit on the next ball.
Though the incident initially went unnoticed by spectators and even the commentary team, slow-motion replays made it evident. It was a technical dismissal that turned into a second life—not due to an overstep or waist-high delivery, but due to positional infringement, a rarity even in the hyper-analytical world of modern cricket.
Rickelton’s Reprieve Short-Lived, But Incident Sparks Debate
Despite the dramatic reprieve, Rickelton failed to make it count, falling to Harshal Patel less than an over later. Yet, the spotlight remained on Klaasen’s lapse—especially for its implications in such a tightly-contested fixture. This wasn’t even the first instance of a wicket falling off a no-ball in the game. Earlier, MI’s Hardik Pandya had dismissed Travis Head, only for the delivery to be ruled a no-ball due to overstepping. Interestingly, Head too perished soon after, to part-time spinner Will Jacks.
While both dismissals eventually stood corrected in favor of the batters, they have reignited conversations around discipline, fine margins, and the increasing frequency of no-ball-induced turnarounds in the IPL 2025 season.
Expert Take: Why This Moment Matters
In a high-octane tournament like the Indian Premier League, where games are won and lost on millimeters and milliseconds, Klaasen’s mistake serves as a critical reminder of the unforgiving nature of elite cricket. For MI, it was a slice of luck in a game where every run mattered. For SRH, it was a missed opportunity—one that could have tilted momentum in their favor.
Such incidents also highlight the role of technology and the evolving umpiring protocols that ensure fairness in decision-making. The third umpire’s intervention was swift and decisive, a testament to how far cricket has come in embracing real-time scrutiny.