Varun Chakravarthy on MI vs SRH No-Ball Row: “Should’ve Been Called a Dead Ball”

Varun Chakravarthy, the Kolkata Knight Riders spinner, has publicly questioned the controversial no-ball ruling during the Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad IPL 2025 match. The incident occurred in the seventh over when MI’s Ryan Rickelton was caught at cover, but replays showed SRH wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen’s gloves were in front of the stumps as the ball made contact with the bat. The third umpire declared it a no-ball, giving a free hit to Rickelton, although he got out in the following over.

Chakravarthy took to social media to state his disagreement with the decision, contending that such errors by the wicketkeeper should not be held against the bowler. 

He penned, "If the gloves of the keeper come in front of the stumps, it must be a dead ball and a warning to the keeper so that he does not do it again! Not a no-ball and a free hit! What did the bowler do?

He proposed that the existing regulation discriminates against bowlers for an error committed by the keeper and demanded that the rule be modified such that there is only a dead ball and a warning, and not a no-ball and free hit.".

The controversy has raised questions about whether current laws—intended to prevent unfair movement by the wicketkeeper—should be adjusted so that bowlers are not excessively penalized for mistakes beyond their own making.