The 2025 Women's Premier League (WPL) kickstarted on a controversial note as the second match of the tournament between Delhi Capitals (DC) and Mumbai Indians (MI) left many confused with the decisions of the third umpire Gayathri Venugopalan coming under the scanner.

For those unversed, the last-ball thriller between MI and DC saw three contentious run-out calls in the last three overs of the match. On all three instances, Venugopalan ruled not-out despite the DC batters appearing out of the crease when the LED bails lit up.

The incident brought major criticism towards the third umpire as the offical playing conditions of the WPL stated that a decision would be based on the moment the LED lights illuminated.

Also Read: WPL Hit With Major Controversy; Third Umpire Faces Heat As 3 Run-Out Calls Go Against MI In Last-Ball Loss VS DC

However, an explanation has emerged behind the debatable calls as a report by EspnCricinfo has revealed that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have changed the rules regarding LED bails due to a glitch. The publication reported that the bails in the WPL have been lit up on the 'slightest disturbance.'

For those unversed, the LED bails consist of a microprocessor that detects the moment both spigots come off the grooves. However, the bails were liting up before the bails were fully dislodged with one spigot still resting.

The same report states that the BCCI told the umpires before the match between MI and DC that the original guideline will not be in place, and it is upon the third umpire to decide when the bails were dislodged. Hence, the decisions made by Venugopalan during the crucial moments of the game were correct and did not go against the rules of the competition.

It remains to be seen if BCCI maintains the same rules for the Men's Indian Premier League (IPL) or if the glitch is corrected by then.

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