ODI World Cup 2023: New MCC rule that helped Virat Kohli score his 48th ODI ton

Virat Kohli scored his 48th ODI century to help the Indian cricket team claim a comfortable victory over Bangladesh in the ODI World Cup 2023 on Thursday. However, a controversial decision by umpire Richard Kettleborough became a major talking point after the match. Kohli was batting on 97 and India needed two runs to win, Bangladesh bowler Nasum Ahmed bowled a delivery towards the leg stump. Kohli shuffled a bit towards the stumps and the wicket-keeper collected it on the leg side. The umpire decided to not award a wide to India and it was given a dot ball.

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Kohli went on to score his 48th ODI century with a massive six just two balls after this incident. Fans were left confused by the umpire's decision to not award the wide despite the wicket-keeper collecting the ball on the leg side.

The reason was a rule change by Marylebone Cricket Club in 2022. "In the modern game, batters are, more than ever, moving laterally around the crease before the ball is bowled. It was felt unfair that a delivery might be called 'Wide' if it passes where the batter had stood as the bowler entered his/her delivery stride."

"Therefore, Law 22.1 has been amended so that a Wide will apply to where the batter is standing, where the striker has stood at any point since the bowler began their run-up, and which would also have passed wide of the striker in a normal batting position," the amended rule stated.

The rule was added to make sure that bowlers are not punished for batters moving across the stumps just when the ball is delivered. As a result, Kohli's batting stance kept him outside the line of the leg stump and that's why it was given as a dot ball but not a wide.