Did Mitchell Starc bowl a no-ball in Super Over of DC vs RR match? Here's what the rule says

There was big drama in the Super Over during the Delhi Capitals (DC) vs Rajasthan Royals (RR) Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 match on Wednesday. Mitchell Starc was bowling under pressure after conceding a four from Shimron Hetmyer and on the fourth ball, he bowled a low full toss outside off to Riyan Parag.

Parag sliced the delivery for four, but then the siren went off and the umpire called it a no-ball. That gave RR a free hit, and it got everyone talking.

The replay showed Starc’s back foot was touching the return crease. He was seen talking to the umpire after it was shown on the big screen. Many fans and even commentators were not sure about the call. Former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull even said on air, “I don’t think it’s a no-ball. You’re allowed to touch the line.”

But what does the MCC rule say?

As per Law 21.5 of the MCC rulebook, it actually is a no-ball if the bowler’s back foot touches or crosses the return crease. The rule says the bowler’s foot must be inside the line and not touching it. So by that, the third umpire was right. Even just touching the line makes it illegal.

“The bowler’s back foot must land within and not touching the return crease appertaining to his/her stated mode of delivery,” the rule states.

This rule is made so that bowlers don’t get weird angles by going too wide when bowling. Mitchell Starc was bowling from around the wicket, so this law really matters in such situations.

What happened in the DC vs RR game?

Despite the drama around the no-ball, Starc held his nerve and delivered a brilliant Super Over, conceding just 11 runs and picking up a crucial run-out. DC batters KL Rahul and Tristan Stubbs then calmly chased down the target, hitting a four and a six to seal the victory for Delhi Capitals.

Earlier in the match, DC had posted 188/5, thanks to Abishek Porel’s steady 49 and late fireworks from Axar Patel (34 off 14) and Stubbs (34 not out off 18). RR looked on course during the chase with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Nitish Rana scoring fifties. However, Starc’s brilliance at the death turned the game around after he defended just 9 runs in the final over to force a Super Over. He was named the Player of the Match for his match-winning spells.