GT Vs MI, IPL 2026: Third Umpire Gives Verdict Of Umpire's Call On Waist-High No Ball Review - Here's Why

In a season already seeing a lot of controversies, the IPL 2026 clash between Gujarat Titans (GT) and Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Narendra Modi Stadium added a fresh layer of officiating drama.

While Mumbai Indians secured a dominant 99-run victory, the match was briefly overshadowed by a contentious waist-high no-ball decision that stood due to umpire’s call, a ruling that left both fans and players seeking clarity.

The incident occurred during the 15th over of the first innings as Mumbai Indians were accelerating towards a strong total. A high full-toss from Prasidh Krishna took the edge of Tilak Varma and went towards the third man area. Tilak was surprised by the ball's height and signaled for DRS to the umpire.

The Hawk-Eye tracking showed the ball’s trajectory passing at a height of 1.03 meters as it crossed the batting crease. According to the tournament’s calibrated height data for Tilak Varma, the no-ball threshold was set at 1.03 meters.

Because there was no evidence to suggest that the ball was above or below the waist, the third umpire was forced to uphold the on-field official's original signal.

While MI eventually ran away with the game, this moment of umpire's call height drama serves as a stark reminder of how technology, intended to remove ambiguity, can sometimes create its own unique brand of controversy in modern cricket.

Waist-High No Ball Law

Any delivery that passes (or would have passed) above the waist height of the striker standing upright at the popping crease, without pitching, is ruled a No-Ball. For consistency across different players, the waist is defined as the top of the batter’s trousers when they are in a standard upright stance.

When a waist-high no-ball is challenged via the Decision Review System, the third umpire uses Hawk-Eye ball-tracking to measure the ball's trajectory relative to the batter's pre-measured waist height.

Before the tournament, every player’s waist height is measured in their upright stance. The technology calculates the height of the ball at the exact moment it crosses the popping crease.

If the ball’s recorded height is significantly above or below the player's stored waist-height limit, the decision is overturned or confirmed.

When is it Umpire’s Call?

Umpire's call is triggered when the ball's height is extremely marginal—typically within a sub-centimeter or 1-inch buffer zone of the batter's measured waistline.

Because ball-tracking has a tiny margin of error, technology is only used to overturn clear errors.

If the ball is clipping the threshold line or falls within the designated margin of error (e.g., within 0.01 meters of the limit), the technology is deemed inconclusive. In these cases, the on-field umpire’s original decision stands, whether they called it a fair delivery or a no-ball.

Just like with LBW reviews, the team does not lose their DRS review if the final verdict is umpire's call.