The BCCI is believed to have made such a move following several incidents of questionable umpiring in the previous IPL. Both MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli openly expressed displeasure about on-field decisions concerning their teams. During a match against the Mumbai Indians, Kohli's Royal Challengers Bangalore needed seven runs off the last ball, but Shivam Dube managed only a single. Replays later revealed that Lasith Malinga had over-stepped, which, if noticed, would have allowed AB de Villiers to face a free hit with five runs needed off one delivery. Kohli described the decision as "ridiculous" during the post-match presentation, stating that it was "IPL level, not club level.""

In another incident, Dhoni was seen walking on to the ground to argue with the on-field umpire Ulhas Gandhe against the Rajasthan Royals at Jaipur. With the over starting with 18 required and down to 8 needed off 3, new batsman Mitchell Santner got a full toss from Ben Stokes, a delivery which Gandhe initially called no-ball for height only for his on-field colleague Bruce Oxenford to overturn it.

In the World Cup soon after, Mitchell Starc bowled a delivery that should have been a free hit, but Chris Gayle was given out by the umpire Chris Gaffeney, who had missed Starc's previous ball where he had over-stepped.