The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has introduced several new rules for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) to level the playing field.
One of the critical changes is the option for captains to announce their Playing XI after the toss, giving teams the chance to tinker with their combination based on the result of the toss. In addition to this, teams will now name a 15-player squad, with one of the four substitutes in contention to be the impact player.
ESPN Cricinfo reports that the BCCI has also introduced other IPL 2023 new rules. Only four fielders will be allowed outside the 30-yard circle for every over outside the allocated time, and unfair movement of the wicketkeeper and fielder will result in a dead ball and a penalty of five runs. These changes are aimed at ensuring fair play and a level playing field.
In the previous IPL seasons, captains had to exchange team sheets before the toss. However, the new rule allows captains to select their teams after knowing the result of the toss. The exchange of teams will now take place immediately after the toss.
The BCCI’s decision to introduce this rule was influenced by the success of the South African T20 league (SA20), where the rule was introduced to reduce the impact of the toss. The IPL is the second cricket league after SA20 to adopt this rule.
Overall, these new rules are expected to make the IPL more exciting and fair, with captains having more flexibility in selecting their Playing XI based on the conditions.
