WPL 2025: 'Zinger Bails Not Applicable?' – Experts React After Two Contentious Run Out Calls in MI vs DC

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Delhi Capitals (DC) pulled off a last-ball thrilling win over Mumbai Indians (MI) to open their Women's Premier League (WPL) 2025 campaign, but the contest was marred by controversy after two contentious run out calls, sparked a debate on social media.

Arundhati Reddy scrambled for a double off the final delivery and survived a close run out call to seal the win for DC after Radha Yadav, who also remained unbeaten in the run chase of 165, survived the first contentious run out call in the penultimate over of the innings.

Under-pressure facing her first ball of the innings, Arundathi managed to loft one over covers and rushed through for a double, but needed to wait for the third umpire's decision to confirm the result.

While Arundhati survived by the barest of margins, the focus remained on the two third-umpire calls that left many questioning the interpretation of the rules with respect to the led stumps and zinger bails.

First up, Shikha Pandey was caught short of the crease after Niki Prasad declined a risky bye as a direct hit at the striker's end saw Pandey stretching to make her ground, and when the LED stumps lit up, the DC batter appeared to be short.

However, after a lengthy review, third umpire Gayathri Venugopalan ruled Pandey not out, basing the decision on when the bail was completely dislodged rather than when the lights on the stumps first lit up.

A near-identical incident occurred when Radha Yadav put in a desperate dive with replays showing the bat may have not been grounded past the crease when the LED lights first flashed, but made contact by the time the bails were fully dislodged as the third umpire once again ruled not out.

Immediately after surviving a run out decision in her attempt to run a quick single, Radha Yadav smashed a maximum to bring down the equation to 10 off 6 balls, while Niki Prasad managed to find a boundary off the first ball of the ultimate over to take DC within touching distance of a win.

Niki Prasad, who was awarded the player of the match, later added a double and a single before being dismissed with DC still requiring two off the final ball to win the match with two wickets in hand. Arundathi took the team over the line in another close run out call, leaving the experts questioning the law.

According to the WPL playing conditions, both run-outs could have been given out as the rules state: "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."

Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru director of cricket Mike Hesson questioned the calls, while Delhi Capitals owner Parth Jindal lauded the third umpire on making those tough calls on social media.

"Not sure why the umpire tonight has decided that the zinger bails are not applicable? Once bails lights up connection is lost therefore wicket is broken! That is in the playing conditions! Have seen more confusion in last 10 mins than ever before," Hesson posted on X.

Meanwhile, Parth Jindal posted, "Irrespective of the result in the ongoing WPL I must applaud the 3rd umpire who is absolutely world class - to make that kind of decision and to take the replay so many frames back under so much pressure is world class."