WPL 2025: LED-bail glitch during DC-W vs MI-W prompts change in rules for run-outs

The final moments of Match 2 of the 2025 edition of the Women's Premier League between Delhi Capitals (DC-W) and Mumbai Indians Women (MI-W) saw three contentious run-out decisions unfold. The third umpire for the game, Gayathri Venugopalan, ruled all the decisions in favour of the Capitals, seemingly disregarding the moment of the LED stumps lighting up as the moment the wicket should be considered broken. 

Former Indian skipper, Mithali Raj, was of the opinion that two of the three calls should have been ruled in MI-W's favour. Interestingly, she also pointed out the 'bat bumping' factor as the first touch theory as well when the batter is diving and the bat lands inside the crease, however, in the process the bat takes the force of the bump. only to remain in the air in most cases.

"[Shikha] Pandey was given not-out while the batter had the bat on the line. When you dive and your bat first hits the ground [inside the crease] and then it [bounces up], because you have to dive full stretch, then it is not out. [But] with Radha Yadav, we can see the blade of the bat up. It is nowhere touching any part of the ground [inside] the crease [when the LED stumps light up]. That means she is out. The bat was never in the crease. That is pretty much out," shared Mithali while commentating for JioHotstar after the game.

What do WPL playing conditions rules say?

The two incidents referred to by Mithali transpired on the fourth and fifth deliveries of the 18th and 19th over of the run-chase, respectively. A direct hit at the striker's end was thought to be the end of Pandey. However, after a few close-up angles, the TV umpire ruled Pandey not-out, who was at the non-striker's end having run a bye after ricocheting off the stumps. An over later, Radha was adjudged not out despite the bat's face seeming to be in the air at the time the stumps lit up.

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As per the understanding of ESPNcricinfo, the reason for the change in rules is due to the batch of bails being used in the WPL glowing at the slightest disturbance, even before both spigots don't seem to completely come off the groove of the stumps. This directly means that Appendix D of the tournament's playing conditions will not be applicable in the WPL 2025 going forward.

"Where LED wickets are used, the moment at which the wicket has been put down 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," the WPL playing conditions state.