The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will start a new rule in the 2025-26 domestic season. This rule is about serious injuries, other than concussion, during a match. Now, a player can be replaced in the middle of the match if he has a serious injury.

The BCCI made this decision after Rishabh Pant and Chris Woakes got serious injuries in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. The ICC rule says players cannot be replaced for any injury except a concussion. But the injuries of Pant and Woakes in the middle of the match started a discussion about making a new rule. Rishabh Pant broke his toe in the fourth match against England. Chris Woakes got injured while fielding and hurt his shoulder badly.

Criteria for BCCI’s Injury Replacement Rule

  • The injury must happen inside the field of play.
  • The injury must be caused by an external blow, like fractures or deep cuts.
  • The player must be unable to play for the rest of the match.

How the Rule Will Work

  • The team manager will submit a replacement for the injured player and explain what happened.
  • The umpires, match referee, and field doctor will check if the replacement is allowed.
  • The referee will confirm if the player can be replaced with a like-for-like player to keep the game fair.

Who Can Replace the Injured Player

  • The captain will nominate players for replacement at the toss. He can choose one of them to replace the injured player.
  • For wicketkeepers, if there is no backup among the nominated players, the captain can choose one player from outside.

When and Where the Rule Will Apply

  1. The new rule will apply in India’s red-ball domestic competitions, like the CK Nayudu Trophy for Under-19 players.
  2. It will be used for the first time in the Duleep Trophy starting August 28.
  3. White-ball tournaments, like the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy or Vijay Hazare Trophy, are not included in this rule.