IPL: 5 Instances when no ball proved costly in tournament's history

In the T20 format, bowling a no-ball is no less than a crime. Several cricketing legends such as Sunil Gavaskar and Simon Doull have come down heavily in the past, on bowlers like Arshdeep Singh and Kagiso Rabda respectively for bowling no-balls. 

While in the ongoing 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), fans saw how a calm and composed player like MS Dhoni got angry over Tushar Deshpande’s overstepping incident in match number 6 against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).

These reactions of veterans over no-balls clearly indicate that the bowlers are required to be completely disciplined when it comes to the shortest format of cricket. Any overstepped delivery or a beamer from bowlers not only gives a free hit and extra delivery to batters but also sometimes, costs games to their teams. In the IPL, many instances have been recorded when a no-ball changed the course of a match.

Talking about a few, here are five instances when no-balls proved costly to teams

5. Sandeep Sharma’s no-ball to Abdul Samad (RR vs SRH, Match 52, IPL 2023)

At the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) locked horns with each other in match 52 of the 16th IPL edition. Batting first after winning the toss, RR posted 214/2 with some dazzling batting performances from Jos Buttler (95 off 59) and skipper Sanju Samson (66 off 38). 

In reply, SRH batters also showed an attacking approach and kept their team alive in the chase. With 41 required in the last two overs, Glenn Phillips also flexed his muscles and hit Kuldip Yadav for four boundaries (three maximums and a four). For the final over, Sanju Samson trusted experienced Sandeep Sharma to defend 17 runs against Abdul Samad and Marco Jansen. 

On the first delivery, Jason Holder dropped Samad on zero, and following that reprieve, the youngster smacked Sharma for a six on the next delivery. With five needed off one, Samad had to hit a six to take his team home. On the last ball, the 21-year-old got caught by Jos Buttler at the long off but the delivery was declared no ball. The blunder from Sandeep cost Royals as the SRH stalwart took advantage of the extra delivery and smashed a maximum to help his team cross the line.