Bad decisions, DRS failures, and moments where umpires got it spectacularly wrong
93 incidents documented
Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals
29 May 2026
The Qualifier 2 toss between Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals at Mullanpur had to be conducted twice after match referee Prakash Bhatt failed to hear Riyan Parag's call — a visible frustration for Shubman Gill who appeared to have won the original toss before the do-over.
Lucknow Super Giants vs Kolkata Knight Riders
26 April 2026
Kartik Tyagi bowled two beamers in the final over of LSG's chase but was allowed to continue — umpires called only one dangerous — sparking IPL fury.
Kolkata Knight Riders vs opponents
26 April 2026
Kolkata Knight Riders opener Angkrish Raghuvanshi was given out "obstructing the field" on 26 April 2026 — the highest-profile use of one of cricket's rarest dismissals in IPL history. Third umpire Rohan Pandit ruled that Raghuvanshi had changed his line while watching the throw, denying the fielding side a clean run-out attempt. The decision turned on the question of intent, and split the cricket world.
Gujarat Titans vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru
30 April 2026
Rajat Patidar was given out caught by Jason Holder in the deep during RCB's match against Gujarat Titans on 30 April 2026, in a third-umpire decision that triggered one of the season's most heated on-field arguments. Replays showed Holder still moving and sliding as he completed the take, and Aakash Chopra publicly described the umpire as "the villain" of the call. Virat Kohli, fielding when the next innings began, walked across to argue with the umpires — a clip that was the most-shared cricket video in India for 24 hours.
Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings
April 2026
Mumbai Indians' use of Shardul Thakur as concussion replacement for Mitchell Santner during their Wankhede match against CSK in April 2026 placed the IPL's like-for-like concussion-substitution rule under public scrutiny. Critics argued that an all-rounder for a frontline spinner was not a like-for-like swap. MI's coaching staff, led by Mahela Jayawardene, defended the call as procedurally correct.
Delhi Capitals vs Punjab Kings
25 April 2026
Delhi Capitals pacer Lungi Ngidi fell awkwardly while attempting to catch PBKS opener Priyansh Arya in DC's IPL 2026 match on 25 April 2026 and sustained a head injury. He was withdrawn from the match under the concussion protocol; Vipraj Nigam was named as the concussion substitute. Ngidi missed several subsequent matches before completing the mandatory concussion layoff.
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants
April 2026
Following the public controversy over Angkrish Raghuvanshi's 26 April 2026 'obstructing the field' dismissal, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) — guardians of the Laws of Cricket — issued a formal clarification backing the third umpire's call. The MCC stated that Raghuvanshi had wilfully obstructed by taking a route that wasn't the most direct way to the other end, drifting off the strip and into the path of Mohammed Shami's throw.
Punjab Kings
April 2026
PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer was fined twice for slow over-rate offences in IPL 2026 — a 12-lakh fine after the GT match and a 24-lakh fine after the CSK match, totalling 36 lakh in personal fines. With the IPL's previous one-match suspension rule scrapped pre-season, neither fine carried a ban; PBKS's other players were each fined 6 lakh or 25 per cent of match fee per offence.
Kolkata Knight Riders
April 2026
KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane was fined 12 lakh for a slow over-rate offence after KKR failed to complete their quota of 20 overs within the stipulated time in an IPL 2026 fixture. The rest of the KKR XI was fined 25 per cent of match fee per player. The fine joins the IPL 2026 cumulative captaincy over-rate fine total that has produced the season's highest such figure in tournament history.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
22 March 2026
The first controversy of IPL 2026 arrived in the tournament's opening match. Sunrisers Hyderabad batter Heinrich Klaasen was given out for 31 off 22 balls when Phil Salt held a low catch at the deep boundary off Romario Shepherd's bowling. Third umpire Rohan Pandit, working with the angles available to him during the review, ruled the catch fair on the basis of inconclusive evidence. Minutes later, broadcasters aired a top-angle replay that had not been provided during the review and which appeared to show the boundary cushion moving as Salt completed the take. Klaasen, by then walking off, was filmed in a heated exchange with the fourth umpire near the boundary rope.
Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans
8 April 2026
Delhi Capitals lost a chase against Gujarat Titans by exactly one run in IPL 2026 — the same one run they had been denied earlier in the innings under cricket's "dead ball after on-field decision" rule. In the 10th over, Nitish Rana was given out lbw on the field, completed a single while waiting for the review, and was then ruled not out on DRS. Under the prevailing IPL playing condition, the single did not count: the ball had become dead at the moment of the original out call. Gujarat won 210-4 to Delhi's 209-8, with David Miller falling agonisingly short and Kuldeep Yadav run out off the final ball.
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants
9 April 2026
Kolkata Knight Riders opener Finn Allen was given out for 9 in the second over of his side's IPL 2026 chase against Lucknow Super Giants at Eden Gardens, after Digvesh Rathi took a low catch at the deep third boundary. Replays appeared to show Rathi's left foot brushing the rope. The on-field umpire ruled the catch fair without referring it upstairs; the third umpire later confirmed the decision under fan and broadcaster criticism, prompting KKR to issue a public statement that the call "should have gone upstairs" first.
England vs Australia
28 June - 2 July 2023
Alex Carey stumped Jonny Bairstow after he wandered out of his crease assuming the ball was dead. The dismissal at Lord's caused a furious reaction from the MCC members.
Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka
6 November 2023
Angelo Mathews became the first batsman in international cricket history to be timed out after his helmet strap broke while walking to the crease.
Various IPL Teams
April 2023
Multiple teams were penalized five runs for fake fielding during IPL 2023, with inconsistent enforcement sparking confusion and debate.
India vs Australia
19 November 2023
Several contentious DRS decisions during the 2023 World Cup Final added to India's frustration as they lost to Australia despite being unbeaten throughout the tournament.
India vs Australia
7-11 June 2023
India were penalized for a slow over rate during the WTC Final, continuing a pattern of teams being docked championship points for failing to meet the required overs per day.
Afghanistan vs Pakistan
23 October 2023
A controversial short run call during the 2023 World Cup match between Afghanistan and Pakistan led to Afghan fans accusing the umpires of costing their team the match.
Various IPL Teams
March-May 2023
The introduction of the Impact Player rule in IPL 2023 created confusion about substitution timings and match referee oversight.
India Women vs England Women
24 September 2022
Deepti Sharma ran out Charlie Dean at the non-striker's end to seal an ODI series sweep. The dismissal reignited the Mankad debate globally.
England Women vs India Women
24 September 2022
Deepti Sharma ran out Charlotte Dean at the non-striker's end for backing up too far, sparking a fierce global debate about the spirit of cricket versus the laws of the game.
Australia Women vs England Women
20 January 2022
The multi-format Women's Ashes points system was criticised for effectively allowing Australia to retain the Ashes before the Test match, making the flagship Test feel meaningless.
India vs England
24-25 February 2021
Multiple controversial LBW decisions in the pink-ball Ahmedabad Test that finished inside two days, with questions about ball tracking accuracy on a turning pitch.
India vs England
5-9 March 2021
The on-field umpire's 'soft signal' of out for a Ben Stokes catch that appeared to have been grassed was upheld by the third umpire, sparking fury over the soft signal rule.
England vs Pakistan
5-9 August 2020
Play was stopped for bad light despite the availability of floodlights, frustrating fans and players as Pakistan pushed for a result.
South Africa vs England
January 2020
Confusion arose about whether a ball was dead after a no-ball was bowled and the batsman was hit, leading to debate about free hit procedures.
Delhi Capitals vs Kings XI Punjab
20 September 2020
The on-field umpire incorrectly called a short run against Kings XI Punjab that replays showed was completed, potentially costing Punjab the match in the Super Over.
Australia Women vs India Women
8 March 2020
Shafali Verma's stumping off Alyssa Healy's gloves in the T20 World Cup Final was controversial, with questions about whether the ball had been gathered cleanly before the bails were removed.
Rajasthan Royals vs Kings XI Punjab
25 March 2019
R. Ashwin controversially ran out Jos Buttler at the non-striker's end by removing the bails before delivering the ball.
England vs New Zealand
14 July 2019
Umpire Kumar Dharmasena awarded six runs on an overthrow that deflected off Ben Stokes' bat, when the correct call should have been five. The decision may have changed the outcome of the World Cup final.
England vs Australia
1-5 August 2019
Multiple decisions in the 2019 Ashes were upheld as 'umpire's call' despite ball tracking showing the ball hitting the stumps, reigniting the debate about the DRS threshold.
England vs Australia
14-18 August 2019
Marnus Labuschagne replaced Steve Smith as cricket's first concussion substitute after Smith was hit by a Jofra Archer bouncer. England questioned whether it was a like-for-like replacement.
Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings
12 May 2019
Lasith Malinga appeared to overstep on the crucial final over but the no-ball was not called, potentially costing CSK the IPL 2019 title.
England vs Australia
22-25 August 2019
During Ben Stokes' miraculous Headingley chase, Jack Leach survived an LBW appeal that was given 'umpire's call' on review, allowing the legendary partnership to continue.
India vs New Zealand
10 July 2019
MS Dhoni's run out by Martin Guptill's direct hit in the World Cup semi-final was upheld by the third umpire after a close review that many felt could have gone either way.
England vs Australia
25 August 2019
Nathan Lyon dropped a simple chance to run out Ben Stokes at Headingley, and earlier Tim Paine missed a stumping chance that would have ended England's miraculous chase.
Pakistan U19 vs Australia U19
31 January 2018
Pakistan U19 were controversially eliminated from the 2018 U19 World Cup when rain and the DLS method conspired to give Australia a win in the quarter-final under circumstances many felt were deeply unfair.
Australia vs England
November-December 2017
Stuart Broad was again at the centre of a caught-behind controversy in the Ashes, this time in Australia, with DRS technology at the heart of the debate.
India vs England
November 2016
The third umpire failed to check for a front-foot no-ball on a wicket-taking delivery, a standard protocol that was missed. The dismissal stood without the check being made.
Australia vs New Zealand
29 March 2015
Brad Haddin claimed a catch off a bottom edge in the 2015 World Cup Final that was reviewed and given out, with New Zealand questioning whether the ball had carried.
England vs Sri Lanka
June 2014
A controversial five-run penalty was awarded during an England-Sri Lanka Test, sparking debate about when and how penalty runs should be applied.
England vs Sri Lanka
3 June 2014
Sri Lanka's Sachithra Senanayake ran out Jos Buttler at the non-striker's end during an ODI, making Buttler a repeat victim of the controversial dismissal.
West Indies / Kolkata Knight Riders
2014-2015
Sunil Narine's bowling action was reported multiple times, leading to suspensions and modifications to his action that significantly impacted his international career.
England vs Australia
10-14 July 2013
Stuart Broad edged a ball clearly to slip but was given not out. He refused to walk, and Australia had no DRS reviews left.
South Africa vs Pakistan
November 2013
Faf du Plessis was caught on camera applying saliva to the ball while sucking a mint, which constitutes ball tampering. He was fined but not banned.
Australia vs England
12 June 2013
David Warner punched Joe Root in a bar altercation during the Champions Trophy, leading to a suspension that set the tone for a hostile 2013 Ashes series.
England vs Australia
July-August 2013
The Hot Spot infrared technology was shown to be unreliable during the 2013 Ashes, failing to detect clear edges and undermining confidence in DRS.
West Indies vs Australia
2012
Kieron Pollard was given out hit wicket in a controversial decision where it was unclear whether his bat or body dislodged the bails.
England vs South Africa
August 2012
An appeal for obstructing the field was considered during the Lord's Test between England and South Africa, highlighting one of cricket's most rarely invoked Laws.
India vs Pakistan
30 March 2011
Sachin Tendulkar survived multiple contentious decisions in the World Cup semi-final against Pakistan, including a caught-behind appeal that Pakistan chose not to review.
England vs Australia
21-25 July 2011
Ian Bell was run out in bizarre circumstances when he assumed the ball was dead at the tea break, only for India to appeal and the umpires to give him out. MS Dhoni later withdrew the appeal.
India vs Sri Lanka
2 April 2011
Sachin Tendulkar survived an LBW decision via DRS review in the 2011 World Cup Final, with ball tracking showing the ball just missing the stumps.
England vs Australia
8-12 July 2009
England survived the final session with last pair James Anderson and Monty Panesar at the crease. Australia were convinced they had Anderson LBW but the appeal was turned down.
Australia vs India
2-6 January 2008
One of the most controversial Tests ever — terrible umpiring decisions, racial abuse allegations, and India threatening to abandon the tour.
England vs New Zealand
June 2008
Kevin Pietersen's revolutionary switch hit raised questions about LBW law, wide calls, and field placement when a batsman changes from right to left-handed mid-delivery.
Australia vs South Africa
25 April 2007
South Africa's World Cup semi-final against Australia was affected by rain and bad light, with DLS calculations and umpiring decisions combining to produce a controversial result.
England vs Pakistan
17-20 August 2006
Umpire Darrell Hair accused Pakistan of ball tampering. Pakistan refused to take the field after tea, and the match was forfeited — the first forfeiture in Test history.
England vs Pakistan
2006
Inzamam-ul-Haq was given out 'handled the ball' in a Test match after instinctively swatting the ball away from his stumps, one of cricket's rarest dismissals.
England vs Australia
4-7 August 2005
Michael Kasprowicz was given out caught behind in one of the closest Ashes matches ever, but replays suggested his glove was off the bat handle when the ball hit it.
New Zealand vs Australia
13 February 2005
The first-ever T20 International featured debates about the width of the wide line in the shorter format, setting the stage for years of inconsistency in T20 umpiring.
New Zealand vs Sri Lanka
March 2005
Billy Bowden gave a controversial LBW decision that was criticized for being rushed, with the ball appearing to be missing the stumps by some margin.
India vs Pakistan
28 March - 1 April 2004
Sachin Tendulkar was controversially declared caught behind for 194 when replays suggested the ball may not have hit his bat, denying him a double century in Pakistan.
India vs England
1 March 2003
Sachin Tendulkar was given out LBW off a ball that appeared to be going well over the stumps, sparking outrage among Indian fans.
Australia vs India
23 March 2003
Ricky Ponting survived a caught-behind appeal early in his innings during the 2003 World Cup Final. He went on to score 140 as Australia demolished India.
India vs Kenya
18 March 2003
Steve Bucknor's umpiring during the 2003 World Cup reinforced his reputation as an umpire who frequently made errors in high-profile matches involving India.
India vs Pakistan
1 March 2003
In the 2003 World Cup India-Pakistan match, Sachin Tendulkar was bowled by Shoaib Akhtar early in his innings, but Pakistan failed to appeal for an LBW earlier, and there were claims Akhtar was overstepping throughout.
India vs Australia
11-15 March 2001
Several contentious LBW decisions went both ways during India's historic follow-on victory against Australia in Kolkata 2001, one of the greatest Tests ever played.
India vs Pakistan
8 June 1999
Sachin Tendulkar was given out caught behind in the high-stakes India-Pakistan World Cup match despite replays suggesting the ball brushed his pad, not bat.
Australia vs South Africa
17 June 1999
Allan Donald was run out in the most dramatic fashion in the 1999 World Cup semi-final, but South Africa argued the initial call by the square leg umpire was premature.
India vs Australia
22 April 1998
In the first of the two Sharjah finals, Sachin Tendulkar was given out LBW to a ball that appeared to be heading down leg. The decision denied fans a potentially historic innings.
India vs Australia
6-10 March 1998
Michael Slater claimed a low catch to dismiss Sachin Tendulkar, but replays suggested the ball had bounced before reaching his hands. The on-field decision was out.
India vs Sri Lanka
13 March 1996
The 1996 World Cup semi-final at Eden Gardens was effectively decided by the match referee after the crowd rioted when India collapsed in the chase.
International cricket
26 December 1995
Darrell Bruce Hair — DB Hair on scorecards — was the Australian umpire born 30 September 1952 in Mudgee NSW who stood in 78 Tests (1992–2008). His full name: Darrell Bruce Hair. Best known for no-balling Muralitharan in 1995 and the forfeited 2006 Oval Test.
Australia vs Sri Lanka
26 December 1995
Umpire Darrell Hair no-balled Muttiah Muralitharan seven times for a suspect bowling action during the Boxing Day Test at the MCG, sparking a massive controversy.
England vs Australia
4 June 1993
While not a controversial decision itself, Mike Gatting's utter disbelief at being bowled by Shane Warne's first ball in Ashes cricket highlighted how umpires and batsmen alike were unprepared for extreme spin.
England vs South Africa
22 March 1992
A farcical rain rule calculation left South Africa needing 22 runs off 1 ball in the World Cup semi-final, robbing them of a realistic chance of reaching the final.
Pakistan, England
1987-12-09
Days before the Mike Gatting-Shakoor Rana finger-pointing row, Chris Broad refused to leave the crease for over a minute after being given out caught behind, an incident that helped poison the 1987 Faisalabad Test.
India vs Australia
18-22 September 1986
The second-ever tied Test in history featured several close umpiring decisions that could have changed the outcome either way.
Australia vs New Zealand
1 February 1981
Greg Chappell instructed his brother Trevor to bowl the last ball underarm along the ground to prevent New Zealand from hitting a six to tie the match.
Australia vs India
7 February 1981
Sunil Gavaskar was given out LBW to Dennis Lillee off a ball that clearly hit his bat first. He was so furious he tried to take his batting partner Chetan Chauhan off the field with him.
Australia vs South Africa
1963-12-06
On 6 December 1963 at the Gabba, in his first over of the first Test against South Africa, Australian left-arm fast bowler Ian Meckiff was no-balled four times by umpire Col Egar — for throwing. Captain Richie Benaud removed him after the over and never bowled him again. Meckiff retired from all cricket at the end of the match. He was 28.
England vs South Africa
1960-06-25
On 25 June 1960, the 21-year-old South African Geoff Griffin took the first Test hat-trick ever recorded at Lord's — and was no-balled eleven times for throwing in the same match. After the Test ended early on the fourth day, the umpires no-balled him repeatedly in the exhibition match staged to fill the unused time, forcing him to complete the over underarm. He never played another Test.
Australia vs India
13-17 December 1947
Vinoo Mankad ran out Bill Brown at the non-striker's end during India's tour of Australia, creating a dismissal type that would bear his name for decades.
Australia v England
1898-01-01
On 1 January 1898 at the MCG, umpire Jim Phillips called Australia's Ernie Jones for throwing — the first bowler ever no-balled for a suspect action in a Test match. Jones, the South Australian fast bowler famous for sending a ball through W.G. Grace's beard the previous summer, had been called once before the Test by Phillips in a tour match. The Melbourne call set off a 'chucking question' that would consume English county cricket through 1900-01 and end Arthur Mold's career.
Various county and representative sides
1864-06-01
The legalisation of overarm bowling in 1864 created an immediate grey zone: how high could the arm go, and at what point did a fast delivery become an illegal throw? Through the 1860s English cricket struggled with this question as a succession of fast bowlers developed actions that umpires suspected but rarely no-balled, creating a climate of suspicion that would recur in every generation of cricket thereafter.
England XI vs Surrey
1862-08-26
Bowling for an England XI against Surrey at the Oval on 26 August 1862, the Kent left-armer Edgar Willsher was no-balled six times in a row by umpire John Lillywhite for raising his hand above the shoulder. Willsher and the eight other professionals in the team marched off the field in protest, leaving the two amateurs stranded. Lillywhite quietly stood down the next day, and within two years the MCC had legalised overarm bowling.
Various county and representative sides
1855-07-01
Umpiring in the 1850s was a notoriously contentious business. Ex-professionals stood as umpires but were often accused of favouring their county's interests; the laws gave batsmen and bowlers little formal right of appeal; and the growing overarm controversy made no-balling — technically required but socially dangerous — a minefield for the men in white coats. Player disputes with umpires were frequent and sometimes ended matches.
MCC; Umpires
1835-06-15
William Caldecourt, a Lord's ground bowler in the 1810s and 1820s, became through the 1830s the senior figure of the MCC professional staff and the club's most-used standing umpire. Caldecourt's interpretations of the roundarm law — especially the shoulder-height limit after the 1835 revision — effectively set the practical boundary that other umpires followed.
n/a
1835-08-01
The leg-before-wicket law had existed in cricket's code since 1774 — and had been tightened in 1839 to require the ball to pitch in line — but in the 1830s it was rarely applied. Umpires of the era were generally unwilling to give a batsman out leg-before unless the ball had hit the pad in the most blatant manner; lbw dismissals were a small fraction of those given by modern umpires.
MCC vs Kent
1822-07-15
Opening the bowling for Kent against MCC at Lord's on 15 July 1822, the Kent farmer John Willes — pioneer of the new roundarm action — was no-balled by the umpire for raising his hand above the prescribed level. Willes threw the ball down, walked off the ground, mounted his horse and rode out of cricket forever. He was the first man to be no-balled in a first-class match for an illegal bowling action and never played another important fixture.
Kent and various private XIs
1816-07-15
Through the 1810s the Kent gentleman cricketer John Willes of Tonford persisted with a delivery action that broke the laws of cricket: the arm raised level with the elbow, often higher, in defiance of the underarm law. According to Arthur Haygarth, Willes had picked up the action from his sister Christiana, who bowled to him in their garden when he was unwell. Through trial games for Kent and private elevens he forced the issue match by match, was no-balled repeatedly, and laid the foundation for the eventual legalisation of roundarm in 1828 and overarm in 1864.
n/a
1816-05-01
In 1816, with John Willes and a small but growing band of Kent and Sussex bowlers persistently raising their arm above the elbow, the MCC revised Law 10 to spell out that bowling must be 'underhand, with the hand below the elbow' and that any horizontal extension of the arm should be called no-ball. The reform was a deliberate effort to suppress roundarm. It failed. Within twelve years the law had to be rewritten in roundarm's favour.
n/a
1811-05-01
Stung by William Lambert's 1810 single-wicket trick of bowling deliberate wides at Lord Frederick Beauclerk to make him lose his temper, the MCC committee in 1811 added a penalty for wide deliveries. From that season on the wide added a run to the batting side, transforming the wide from a tactical nuisance into a punishable error and laying the legal foundation for one of cricket's longest-running rules.