New Delhi [India], August 16 : In a significant step towards player safety, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has introduced a serious injury replacement substitute rule in domestic cricket. The regulation, aimed at ensuring players do not risk aggravating injuries, will come into force from the Duleep Trophy starting August 28, which also marks the beginning of the 2025-26 season. The rule will also apply to the Ranji Trophy, India's premier first-class competition, as per ESPNcricinfo.
Under this rule, teams will be allowed to bring in a non-playing squad member as a like-for-like replacement, provided the injury is deemed serious. The final approval will rest with the match referee, after the team concerned submits a medical report confirming the nature of the injury. Importantly, the rule only covers injuries sustained during the match and those of an external nature, for example, a fracture or a deep cut caused by an impact rather than internal issues such as a hamstring strain.
The idea gathered momentum after Rishabh Pant famously batted with a fractured foot against England in Manchester earlier this year.
According to the BCCI's regulation, the replacement player must be from the list of substitutes named at the toss.
Only in the case where the wicketkeeper is seriously injured and needs to be replaced, then the match referee may allow a wicketkeeper from a player outside the nominated substitutes if there is no wicketkeeper in the nominated substitutes.
Both the injured player and the replacement will be considered to have officially played in the match for records and statistics.
With this change, Indian domestic cricket will now act as a testing ground for what could eventually become a global regulation.