Virat Kohli's dismissal in the Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru game stirred a major controversy. Kohli was given out on a high full-toss during RCB's run chase of 223 against the Knight Riders after the third umpire took the decision into his own hands.
Kohli's dismissal happened in the third over of the second innings when Harshit Rana came to bowl his third over. He got Virat out on the first ball of the over on a delivery that the batter played a little below his chest. The ball was a slow high full toss that Kohli looked to defend. Harshit completed the catch himself and Kohli went for the review immediately but it was already an umpire's review.
Was Virat out or not out?
The third umpire used the hawk-eye trajectory technology to make the decision. Kohli was standing outside the crease at the time when he came in impact of the ball. As shown in the Hawkeye trajectory, Kohli's waist height would have been 1.04m had he been standing in the normal position at the popping crease.
But although the ball seemed to be over his waist when he played it outside of his crease, the ball dipped in. As confirmed by the commentators on air, the ball dipped to 0.92m at the popping crease. Had Kohli been inside the crease, the ball would have been below the height of his waist - 1.04m at 0.92m.
What do the MCC rules say on waist-high no balls?
According to rule 41.7.1 of the MCC, "Any delivery, which passes or would have passed, without pitching, above waist height of the striker standing upright at the popping crease, is unfair. Whenever such a delivery is bowled, the umpire shall call and signal No ball."
According to this rule too, the ball would have been unfair and a no ball had the batter standing upright at the popping crease and the ball being over waist height. But in the case of Kohli's dismissal, he was standing outside his crease and the ball dipped below at the time it reached the popping crease.
