Umpire subjectivity to be replaced by precision tracking as technology steps in to call high and wide balls
New Delhi, March 21 — In a landmark decision ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, the BCCI has approved the use of Hawk-Eye technology to assess wide deliveries outside off-stump and above the batter’s head, effectively eliminating umpiring subjectivity in these crucial calls.
“There won’t be guesswork anymore—just data,” said a senior official familiar with the pre-season captain’s meeting held Thursday in Mumbai, where the ruling was formally communicated to all ten franchises.
The same ball-tracking system that was introduced to assess over-the-waist no-balls in IPL 2024 will now expand its role. Hawk-Eye will determine the trajectory of head-high balls by comparing the delivery’s height at the popping crease to a database-stored toe-to-head height of each batter in an upright stance.
What’s more, the system will also take into account the lateral movement of batters—ensuring that the wide guideline adjusts accordingly, thereby maintaining fairness for both bowlers and batters. The blue wide marker, which had been a fixed point of judgment, will now shift automatically based on the batter’s position using Hawk-Eye data.
This move is expected to bring more consistency and credibility to umpiring decisions—especially in the high-stakes T20 format where even one incorrect wide call can swing the game.
The new rule will be in effect starting March 22, when Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) kick off their title defence against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in what fans call the “OG Derby,” a throwback to IPL’s inaugural clash in 2008.