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Ben Stokes Floats 'Controversy-Free' Idea to Tackle Non-Striker Run-Out Debates

image-lgbw5k5kHarshal Patel failed running out Ravi Bishnoi (IPLT20.com)

Royal Challengers Bangalore suffered a bitter one-wicket defeat at the hands of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Match 15 of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 due to a critical error in the last over of the match.

The game-changing moment occurred when RCB's Harshal Patel missed running out LSG's Ravi Bishnoi at the non-striker's end before the final delivery of the match. The miss proved to be detrimental as Lucknow scored the remaining one run on the last ball to clinch victory, leaving RCB with a crushing defeat.

The incident has sparked a heated debate on the age-old controversy surrounding non-striker run-outs in cricket. Renowned commentator, Harsha Bhogle, took to Twitter and asked if there were still individuals who deemed the form of dismissal unjustifiable.



In response, Chennai Super Kings and England all-rounder, Ben Stokes, proposed an alternate solution to mitigate the issue and eradicate controversy from the game. The Englishman suggested a penalty of six runs to be imposed on batters trying to gain unfair advantage.


It is pertinent to mention that the non-striker run-out, which is currently considered legal, was deemed invalid in this instance, as the bowler cannot run out the non-striker if they have completed their bowling action.

The bowler must be inside the crease or must not have finished the bowling action. Harshal, however, threw the ball onto the stumps from outside the crease after completing his bowling action, leading to the dismissal being denied.

Eventually, on the final ball of the match, Harshal managed to beat LSG's Avesh, but in the process, he took a risky run. RCB’s wicketkeeper, Dinesh Karthik, fumbled while attempting to collect the ball, allowing Bishnoi to race halfway down the pitch. The fumble provided enough time for Avesh to reach the other end, leading to a moment of intense celebration.