Explained: ICC’s revised PowerPlay overs rules for rain-affected or shortened T20 matches and how they will impact game strategies

The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced new PowerPlay rules for rain-affected or shortened T20 matches with a clearly defined number of overs allowed upfront and a restricted field in its new Playing Conditions for the shortest format of the game.

As per the new rules, which will be effective from July, a reduced game of eight overs in an innings, which would have three overs as powerplay, will now have 2.2 overs of PowerPlay with only two fielders outside the 30-yard circle. Similarly, for a five-over innings, 1.3 overs will be of PowerPlay.

The ICC table on its website said for a six-over innings, 1.5 overs will be of PowerPlay; 2.1 overs of PowerPlay for a seven-over innings, 2.2 overs for an eight-over innings, whereas a nine-over innings will have 2.4 overs of PowerPlay.

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5	1.3
6	1.5
7	2.1
8	2.2
9	2.4
10	3.0
11	3.2
12	3.4
13	3.5
14	4.1
15	4.3
16	4.5

For a 10-over innings, three overs will be the Powerplay. For an 11-over innings, 3.2 overs will be of PowerPlay, for a 12-over innings, 3.4 overs will be of PowerPlay.

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Similarly, for a 13-over innings, it will be 3.5 overs of PowerPlay, 4.1 overs of PowerPlay for a 14-over innings, 4.3 overs of PowerPlay for a 15-over innings and 4.5 overs of PowerPlay have been slotted in the updated ICC table for 16-over innings.

ICC's new measures for Test

Apart from that, ICC also introduced several new measures as part of the 2025-2027 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.

According to the updated Test match playing conditions, the fielding side has to be ready to start each over within 60 seconds of the previous over being completed," the ICC stated. "An electronic clock will be displayed at the ground that counts up seconds from zero to 60."

"The fielding side shall be ready to start each over within 60 seconds of the previous over being completed," the ICC stated. "An electronic clock will be displayed at the ground that counts up seconds from zero to 60."

The teams will get two warnings for delays. If the bowling side repeats the offence for the third time, then the batting side will be awarded five penalty runs. These warnings will reset once 80 overs have been completed in the innings.

Additionally, the new playing conditions now allow the fielding captain to choose which batter takes a strike in the event of a deliberate short run.

The updated rules came into force with the start of the new WTC cycle in Galle, with Sri Lanka hosting Bangladesh in the opening Test of the two-match series.