BCCI Announces New Rules Ahead of IPL 2025
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
Player Access and Movement
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has extended the recently enforced stricter guidelines imposed on the India cricket team to franchises in the Indian Premier League. In order to ensure understanding of the rule changes, the BCCI will hold a meeting with all franchise captains at the Cricket Centre in Mumbai on March 20, ahead of the tournament start.
The first change states that family members of players and support staff are restricted from entering dressing rooms and the Player of the Match Area before and during games as well as during practice sessions. The second is that all players are required to use the team bus to travel to and from matches. The BCCI’s official statement read:
"Players to use the team bus while coming for practice. Teams may travel in two batches. On practice days (during pre-tournament & tournament), only accredited staff is allowed in the dressing room and on the field of play.”
Practice and Player Replacement Rules
The BCCI have made significant changes to practice scheduling and processes, starting with teams being allocated two nets in practice and one end of the wicket on the main square for warm-ups. No open nets will be allowed for use, and no practice is allowed on match days. Additionally, no fitness tests will be permitted on matchdays in the main square.
One of the most notable changes for the upcoming tournament is the provision for partial replacements in exceptional circumstances, especially wicket-keepers. If a team’s entire set of registered keepers are unavailable for a match, that team will be allowed to sign one from outside their squad, only after receiving special permission from the BCCI to do so.
Moreover, if a player sustains a season-ending injury, replacements can be permitted but only under the following conditions:
- The injury needs to have occurred before the team’s 12th group stage match
- A BCCI-approved doctor must confirm the extent of the player’s injury
- The injured player must have been available for the remaining games
- The injured player cannot return to the same franchise in the same season once replaced
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Equipment Usage and Player Conduct
In terms of these changes, the BCCI has instructed players to avoid hitting the ball into the LED boards, and team members must not sit in front of the LED boards as designated seating areas will be provided. All PMOA-accredited staff are required to carry and provide their accreditation on match days - failure to do so will result in monetary penalties being imposed.
When it comes to apparel, players must wear the orange and purple caps for at least the first two overs for sponsorship reasons and floppy hats and sleeveless jerseys are banned. Changes to the jersey numbers of players are now required to be reported at least 24 hours in advance and can only be made once confirmation has been issued by the BCCI.
All the rule changes stated above are intended to level the playing field among teams and improve logistical as well as broadcast processes for what is expected to be the widest reaching IPL season yet.
The 2025 IPL will get underway on March 22, and you can check out all our cricket experts’ Indian Premier League Predictions & Betting tips ahead of the tournament opener!
