Rishabh Pant’s horror blow forces BCCI to introduce ‘Serious Injury Replacement’ rule for 2025-26 season
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The BCCI has amended playing conditions and allowed a new rule, which allows injury replacements in multi-day formats for the upcoming domestic season, an idea that has been in talks since the recent Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, which marked several injuries in the series, including India star Rishabh Pant's foot fracture.
The supposed rule change, which was demanded by the Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir, was opposed by English skipper Ben Stokes, who called it a ridiculous suggestion. In the series, one player from each side, Rishabh Pant and Chris Woakes, faced injuries that ruled them out of further contributions in the game.
"Absolutely, I'm all for it," Gambhir had said after Pant's injury during the fourth Test in Manchester.
Stokes, though, was not for it and said, "It's absolutely ridiculous that there's a conversation around an injury replacement."
BCCI adds new injury replacement rule ahead of the Domestic season after Rishabh Pant's setback in England
"If a player sustains a serious injury during the course of the relevant match, a Serious Injury Replacement may be permitted in the following circumstances," the newly introduced rule in the Playing Conditions states, reported Cricbuzz. "The serious injury must have been sustained during play and within the playing area described in the clause."
The BCCI is bringing changes that the other cricket boards, as well as the ICC, are witnessing. After Pant's sufferings have been addressed, the issue has been resolved, and they have done the best they could to facilitate fair competition between teams at their level of the game.
The BCCI has introduced the rules in Playing Conditions for the upcoming domestic season from 2025-26 in multi-day cricket events under a new sub-head, 'Serious Injury Replacement.'
Following rules from the BCCI books have been imposed for the upcoming season (as quoted by Cricbuzz):
1.2.8.1 If a player sustains a serious injury during the course of the relevant match, a Serious Injury Replacement may be permitted in the following circumstances:
1.2.8.1.1 the serious injury must have been sustained during play and within the playing area described in clause
1.2.5.2 above. The injury must have occurred due to an external blow and result in fracture / deep cut / dislocation etc. The injury should render player unavailable for remainder of the match.
1.2.8.1.2 Onfield umpires shall be final authority do decide on extend of serious injury and allowability of Serious Injury Replacement. They may consult BCCI Match Referee and / or doctor available on ground.
1.2.8.1.3 the Team Manager shall submit a Serious Injury Replacement Request to the BCCI Match Referee on a standard form, which shall:
1.2.8.1.3.1 identify the player who has sustained the serious injury.
1.2.8.1.3.2 specify the incident in which the serious injury was sustained, including the time at which it occurred.
1.2.8.1.3.3 confirm that, the player has sustained a serious injury and will not be able to participate further in the match due to the injury; and
1.2.8.1.3.4 identify the requested Serious Injury Replacement, who shall be like-for-like replacement for the player who has sustained the serious injury.
1.2.8.1.3.5 In all circumstances serious injury replacement player shall be from nominated substitutes at the time of toss (For Col C K Nayudu Trophy from the time of nomination of players). Only in the case where wicket-keeper is seriously injured and needs a replacement then Match Referee may allow a wicket-keeper from player outside the nominated substitutes if there is no wicket-keeper in the nominated substitutes.
1.2.8.2 The Serious Injury Replacement Request must be submitted to the BCCI Match Referee as soon as possible after the incident specified in clause 1.2.8.1.3.2 if a Serious Injury Replacement is to be permitted.
1.2.8.3 The BCCI Match Referee should ordinarily approve a Serious Injury Replacement Request if the replacement is a like-for-like player whose inclusion will not excessively advantage his team for the remainder of the match.
1.2.8.4 In assessing whether the nominated Serious Injury Replacement should be considered a like-for-like player, the BCCI Match Referee should consider the likely role that the seriously injured player would have played during the remainder of the match, and the normal role that would be performed by the nominated Serious Injury Replacement.
1.2.8.5 If the BCCI Match Referee believes that the inclusion of the nominated Serious Injury Replacement, when performing their normal role, would excessively advantage their team, the BCCI Match Referee may impose such conditions upon the identity and involvement of the Serious Injury Replacement as he/she sees fit, in line with the overriding objective of facilitating a like-for-like replacement for the seriously injured player.
1.2.8.6 The BCCI Match Referee may, in reviewing a Serious Injury Replacement Request made in accordance with clause 1.2.8.1.3 request any such further information as may be required in order to make the determination required under clauses 1.2.8.4 and 1.2.8.5.
1.2.8.7 The decision of the BCCI Match Referee in relation to any Serious Injury Replacement Request shall be final and neither team shall have any right of appeal.
1.2.8.8 Once the Serious Injury Replacement has been approved by the BCCI Match Referee, the replaced player shall take no further part in the match.
1.2.8.9 Both the Serious Injury Replacement and the replaced player shall be considered to have played in the match for records and statistical purposes.
The set of new rules from the BCCI
There were a few other rule changes too—on deliberate short runs and retiring out batsmen; however, the serious injury replacement is an absolute new addition to the playing conditions for the upcoming Indian domestic season.
A short run is an attempt to complete quick doubles or triples in between overs without reaching the crease properly, where at least one of the batters does not make their ground at one end. Batters may either choose to score a run, provided umpires believe that they did not attempt to deceive the umpires in any way, or might have to abort the run if they hold the batters guilty.
Under such a clause, the fielding captain will be given the right to choose the batter who will take strike for the next delivery.
Also, if a batter retires for any reason other than as mentioned in clause 25.4.2, he will be considered as dismissed and will not get any chance to return to the crease.
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