Explained: No ball rule in Cricket after Virat Kohli's controversial dismissal against KKR

Virat Kohli's dismissal in the IPL match against KKR on Sunday sparked a fiery debate. A beamer from Harshit Rana looked set to be called a no-ball for exceeding waist height. Though replays showed the ball was high at impact, the umpire deemed the delivery to be legal, and hence, a livid and furious Kohli had to make his way back to the pavilion. While Kohli's frustration was evident, Star Sports, the IPL broadcaster, confirmed he was out according to the rules.

The height is measured concerning the batsman's waist at the striker's end. Here's where the controversy lies. Kohli had stepped out of his crease to play the shot. The no-ball height is not judged based on the batsman's initial stance alone. Kohli was standing outside his crease and technological analysis revealed that if Kohli had been within his crease, the ball wouldn't have been above waist height. As such, even though the ball looked high from Kohli's perspective, it was legal because it wouldn't have exceeded waist height if he had been in his crease.

What does the No-Ball rule say?

In cricket, a no-ball is an illegal delivery made by the bowler that gives the batting team an extra run and, in limited-over games, a free hit. 
The bowler has six legal deliveries to finish an over, but the no-ball delivery is not taken into account. A free hit comes after a no-ball in One-Day and T20 cricket. 

There are a few types of no-ball in this game: Front-foot no ball, Back-foot no ball, no-ball for bouncing over the head, no-ball for bouncing multiple times, no-ball for delivery pitching outside the playing area and waist height no ball which happened with Virat Kohli in the IPL match against KKR on Sunday.

This season, the IPL introduced technology to assess the height of the ball as it passes the batter at the popping crease, eliminating the subjective aspect of the decision-making process when deciding on no-balls above the waist. The batter's toe-to-waist height when standing is then compared to that, which has been measured and noted beforehand. It is ruled a no-ball if the height of the ball exceeds the batter's waist measurement. It's a fair delivery otherwise.

The KKR vs RCB match was a nail-biting encounter that ultimately ended in a heartbreaking one-run defeat for RCB. KKR posted a competitive 222 on the board, with crucial contributions from several batters. In reply, RCB looked poised for victory with Rajat Patidar and Will Jacks slamming half-centuries in quick time. However, a flurry of wickets halted their momentum. Dinesh Karthik's late cameo kept RCB's hopes alive, but they fell agonizingly short in the final over.

This defeat has significant implications for RCB's playoff qualification. Their fate is no longer entirely in their own hands. They'll need to win their remaining matches and rely on favourable results from other games to secure a playoff spot. The pressure is on, and RCB will need to find a way to bounce back from this setback and deliver consistent performances in the remaining matches.