[3] The opportunity afforded by a free hit ball enables the batter to play a more powerful shot without the fear of getting out by any mode that is credited to the bowler, i.e. bowled, caught, LBW, stumped or hit wicket.
[5][6] An instance of the latter happened in an ODI between India and England in January 2017, when Liam Plunkett clean bowled MS Dhoni off a free hit delivery and the ball rolled away to the boundary, giving India four byes.
[7] Another notable instance took place during the 2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup match between India and Pakistan, in which Virat Kohli ran three byes after being bowled by Mohammad Nawaz off a free hit delivery.
However, for safety reasons, if the wicketkeeper is standing up at the stumps they are allowed to move back to a more traditional position.
The umpire at the bowler's end signals that the next ball is a free hit by making circular movements in the air with one raised hand.