How Virat Kohli got 3 runs off free hit despite being bowled

In one of the craziest 20th overs ever to be bowled in a T20 match, there was one flash point when the Pakistan team converged around the umpire Rod Tucker in protest. Their anger was because Virat Kohli was bowled off the free hit, but he still took three runs as the ball trickled down to third man.

Their contention was that because the ball had hit the stumps, it should have been a dead ball. Former Australian cricketer Brad Hogg also raised this objection as the match ended off the last ball in India's favour.

Despite these protestations, the ball was not a dead ball because off a free hit, a batsman can get out only in four ways i.e. Handled the ball, Hit the ball twice, Obstructing the field and Run out.

The three runs were thus given as three byes and Dinesh Karthik took strike with 2 runs to get off the last 2 balls.

The ICC rule on the dead ball says:

"20.1.1 The ball becomes dead when 20.1.1.1 it is finally settled in the hands of the wicket-keeper or of the bowler.

20.1.1.2 a boundary is scored. See clause 19.7 (Runs scored from boundaries).

20.1.1.3 a batter is dismissed. The ball will be deemed to be dead from the instant of the incident causing the dismissal."

Because Kohli was not out because the delivery was a free hit, the ball was not dead when the ball hit his stumps.

There was a dead ball earlier in the match though, when a shot by a Pakistan batter hit the spider cam and the ball was called dead by the umpires. Unfortunately for Pakistan, not in Kohli's case.

There was a very similar incident in the Women's Big Bash League this week itself in a match between Perth Scorchers and Melbourne Stars.

Kohli's unbeaten 53-ball 82 took India to a 4-wicket win over Pakistan off the last ball of the match. India's next match in the T20 World Cup is against Netherlands.