ODI World Cup 2023: Recent MCC rule that potentially assisted Virat Kohli in achieving his 48th ODI century

Virat Kohli delivered a splendid century, leading the Indian cricket team to a comfortable victory over Bangladesh in the Cricket World Cup 2023 on Thursday. However, a controversial decision by umpire Richard Kettleborough sparked discussion after the match. With Kohli at 97 runs and India requiring two runs to win, Bangladesh bowler Nasum Ahmed sent a delivery towards the leg stump. Kohli made a slight shuffle towards the stumps, and the wicket-keeper collected the ball on the leg side. Surprisingly, the umpire chose not to call it a wide, ruling it as a dot ball.

The 34-year-old later went on to achieve his 48th ODI century with a powerful six just two balls after this incident. While fans were left perplexed by the umpire's decision not to award a wide, despite the wicket-keeper collecting the ball on the leg side, the explanation for this lay in a rule change implemented by the 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."

 Amendment of the rule was done prior to the World Cup 

This rule was introduced to prevent bowlers from being penalized when batters move across the stumps just as the ball is released. Consequently, Kohli's initial batting stance positioned him outside the line of the leg stump, and when he shuffled across, the umpire considered it a change in the batter's position.

"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.

This updated rule was put into effect on October 1, just prior to ODI World Cup 2023 which makes this decision completely in line with the controversy. It was done in order to restrict the undue advantage taken by batters.