
Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) in India tightens Indian Premier League rules with new restrictions on squad movement and updated playing conditions.
As per a recent development, the Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) in India has updated the playing conditions in the Indian Premier League. Under the new rules, there will be a limit on the number of squad members allowed to move around the ground during a match.
According to a recent report, team managers have been informed that no more than 16 members of a squad can be within the fielding limits or move between the boundary line and the LED advertisement boards.
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While a IPL squad consists of 25 players, of which 16 are named in the team sheet for a particular match, comprising the playing XI and impact substitutes, the remaining members must stay in the dugout and will not be allowed to carry drinks or convey messages to players on the field.
“Instructions have been passed to us only recently that all substitutes cannot move around during the match. They are also not allowed to carry drinks onto the field. Only the 16 named in the team for the match can do so. In addition to that, only five outside the playing XI can move around. The others can sit in the dugout, but cannot move between the boundary line and LED advertising boards,” Cricbuzz quoted sources as saying.
BCCI Keeps A Check With New IPL 2026 Rules
This recent change adds to the expanded anti-discrimination code that the BCCI introduced ahead of IPL 2026.
As per that rule, players and match officials are required to abide by the code for three months after their contracts end. Any violation during this period could result in sanctions ranging from a four-match suspension to a life ban.
Adding to the rulebook, the board has also stated that no automatic double-checks on DRS referrals will be allowed unless a separate request is made. Under the new rules, the IPL has now become stricter, with the dugout regulation adding to the evolving team dynamics both on and off the field.
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