The most significant alteration to the playing conditions for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season was made by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which imposed penalties on the captain for over-rate offences. Captains will no longer be banned from matches, according to a decision made by the BCCI. Rather, they will receive demerit points as punishment, and only in severe circumstances will they be banned.
The BCCI told the ten teams' think tanks during the captains and managers meeting on Thursday, March 20, at the BCCI office in Mumbai, that slow over-rate offences would not result in match bans. Rather, a system like the ICC has been implemented, wherein the captain is given demerit points according to the seriousness of the offence. For three years, these demerit points will remain in effect.
"The captain will be penalised with demerit points but will not face a match ban for the slow over-rate," says an internal communique seen by Cricbuzz.
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25 to 75 per cent match fees will be charged for Level 1 offences, and demerit points will be calculated over the following three years. If a Level 2 offence is judged to be particularly significant, four demerit points will be given.
"For every 4 demerit points accumulated, the match referee can impose a penalty, either in the form of a 100 percent fine or additional demerit points. These demerit points could potentially lead to a match ban in the future. But for slow overrate it won't be a match ban (immediately)," a source in the know said
A few IPL captains have been suspended from games due to slow over-rates. Hardik Pandya will not play in the Mumbai Indians' inaugural IPL 2025 match because of an over-rate offence from the previous season, while Rishabh Pant was forced to miss a pivotal Delhi Capitals game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru last season because to his team's slow over-rate. The Impact Player Rule, which has drawn criticism, will also be revisited following the 2027 season, according to the BCCI, meaning it will remain in effect for the current IPL cycle.
"The IPL will continue to implement the Impact Player rule, allowing teams to substitute one player during a match, at least until 2027," a source told Cricbuzz.
The DRS clause in the playing conditions has also been modified by the BCCI. Both the height wides and the wides outside the off-stump will be covered by the referral. These modifications follow earlier reports of the removal of the saliva prohibition and the addition of a second ball in the second innings to battle dew.