3 times a no-ball proved to be costly for a team in the IPL

Bowling a no-ball is something every bowler wants to avoid, not only in international matches but also in franchise cricket.

In T20 cricket, a no-ball is nothing short of a crime. As an innings comprises only 120 legal deliveries, batters always look to maximize their run-scoring opportunities, and an extra delivery with no risk is something they look to pounce on as much as they can.

There have been many occasions when a no-ball proved to be too costly for the bowling team in the IPL.

On that note, we will look back at three times when a no-ball costs a team a game in the IPL.

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#3 Ben Hilfenhaus, CSK vs KKR, Chepauk, IPL 2012 Final

What happens when all your efforts go in vain because of a no-ball that costs your team the coveted IPL trophy?

Well, ask Ben Hilfenhaus, who was at the receiving end of the same fate in the 19th over of the 2012 IPL final.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK), despite Manvinder Bisla and Jacques Kallis pulling things back for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), were the favorites to win the summit clash as they had to defend 16 off seven deliveries.

However, Hilfenhaus, who was the pick of the bowlers that night delivered a waist-high no-ball to Shakib Al Hasan on his last ball of the night, which the batter top-edged to mid-wicket.

Murali Vijay was celebrating the wicket after taking a fantastic running catch. But the celebration was cut short by the umpire, who signaled for a no-ball.

Shakib, who just arrived at the crease, couldn't have asked for anything more. He scooped the free-hit delivery to short fine leg for a boundary that left KKR with the task of scoring nine runs in the final over, which Manoj Tiwari did inside four balls.

At the end of the night, Hilfenhaus’s no-ball cost CSK the game and the title.

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#2 RP Singh, RCB vs CSK, Chepauk, IPL 2013

It was an anticlimactic finish between the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk.

With Chennai needing 16 off the last over, Ravindra Jadeja smoked RP Singh for a six and a four off his first two balls. The bowler made a superb comeback as he conceded only four runs in his next three deliveries.

With two required off the last ball, RP Singh bowled a short and wide ball, which Jadeja edged to the short third man. Celebrations started in the RCB camp, but umpire Anil Choudhary called for a no-ball. The celebration soon turned into disappointment for RCB as the batters also ran a single to hand CSK the win.

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#1 Sandeep Sharma, RR vs SRH, Jaipur, IPL 2023

A match that turned out to be a rollercoaster with so many twists and turns was an IPL classic

SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) found themselves in a hole, needing 41 runs in the last two overs against the Rajasthan Royals (RR). But Glenn Phillips ensured that his team still had an outside chance by smashing 22 off the first four deliveries of the 19th over.

Needing 17 in the last over, Abdul Samad brought the equation down to five needed off the last ball.

However, the main twist came on the sixth ball of the over when Samad holed out to long off, and Rajasthan started to celebrate. But Sandeep Sharma had overstepped as the dreaded siren rang.

Samad smoked Sandeep's attempted yorker on the free-hit to long-on for a six to give SRH a victory for the ages.