India vs Australia: Why Rinku Singh's last-ball six wasn't counted?

Rinku Singh hit a six off the last ball in the thrilling first T20I between India and Australia on Thursday to guide Men in Blue to a 1-0 lead in the five-match series, but the maximum was not counted and the home team was only given one run. Are you confused? Let’s break down exactly what happened. India needed seven off the last over in the 209-run chasse at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. Rinku Singh was on strike and Sean Abbott was asked to bowl the final over. Ball 1 and 2: Rinku started with a four over backward point and then took a bye after missing on a pull shot. Two more runs were needed now. Ball 3: Axar Patel came on strike and Abbott struck immediately with the all-rounder giving away a top-edge back to the bowler. Ball 4: Ravi Bihsnoi missed a hook shot but Rinku ran for a bye as the former was run out at the non-striker’s end. Ball 5: Rinku went hard to deep mid-wicket and asked for a two from his new partner Arshdeep Singh. However, Arshdeep fell short of his crease trying to complete the second run and had to go back to the hut. Three wickets fell on a trot but most importantly India collected one run and Rinku stayed on strike. One run is needed now. Ball 6: A fuller ball by Abbott is dispatched over long-on by Rinku for a six as India win the match by two wickets, but the six is not counted as it was a no-ball by the bowler and India completed the chase with the help of that one run.

Rinku Singh's heroics gets 🇮🇳 over the line in the 1st #INDvAUS T20I of #IDFCFirstBankT20ITrophy 💙#TeamIndia #JioCinemaSports pic.twitter.com/6F77QT6Kpr

— JioHotstar Reality (@HotstarReality) November 23, 2023

Why Rinku SIngh’s last-ball six was not counted? Because the last ball, which wasn’t a legal delivery, was a no-ball by Abbott as he overstepped and India collected the one run they needed for a win before Rinku could hit the six. The six essentially came after India won the match. What are the ICC rules on this? As per ICC Men’s T20I Playing Conditions 16.5.1: “As soon as a result is reached as defined in clauses 16.1, 16.2 or 16.3.1, the match is at an end. Nothing that happens thereafter, except as in clause 41.17.2 (Penalty runs), shall be regarded as part of it.” Rinku could have got the six added to his tally if India needed more than one run. “If a boundary is scored before the batters have completed sufficient runs to win the match, the whole of the boundary allowance shall be credited to the side’s total and, in the case of a hit by the bat, to the striker’s score,” says ICC Men’s T20I Playing Conditions.