NEW DELHI: As the Ranji Trophy season begins, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has implemented significant changes to its playing conditions, specifically addressing loopholes in the serious injury replacement provision. According to a new document shared with state associations, a player replaced due to a serious injury will now be ineligible to play for a full week and must secure fitness clearance from the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (COE) before returning to the field.
This ‘serious injury replacement’ clause is being introduced as part of a pilot project by the International Cricket Council (ICC), with an eye toward eventual integration into international cricket regulations.
“If a player is replaced for serious injury during the match, the concerned player will have to stand down for a minimum period of seven days from the time the serious injury replacement was permitted. After the completion of the minimum stand down days the concerned player will be required to report to BCCI – COE for further assessment of his fitness. The specialist panel at the BCCI COE will assess his/her fitness and based on the specialist report the player will be cleared for any future participation in BCCI matches,” the BCCI notification to state associations stated.
For instance, under these updated playing conditions, if a player is injured on Day One of a match (scheduled from October 15-18) and is then taken to the hospital for a scan, with an injury replacement approved on Day Two (October 16), then October 17 will be counted as the first day of their mandatory stand-down period.
The debate surrounding serious injury replacements has intensified following incidents such as Rishabh Pant batting with a broken foot in a Manchester Test in July, and Chris Woakes being unable to bowl in the second innings of the final Test of the series at Oval. While many former cricketers advocated for such provisions, concerns were also raised about teams potentially misusing the system. It is understood that the ICC will review the effectiveness of these new rules in domestic tournaments during their upcoming chief executives’ meeting in November.
Demerit Points and Sanctions Now Apply Across All Formats
The BCCI has also clarified that any demerit points or sanctions imposed on a player will be applicable to the next match their team is scheduled to play, irrespective of the format. This means if a player receives a suspension or demerit points in the final Ranji Trophy match of the season, they will be required to sit out their team’s subsequent game, even if it’s a T20 or One-day fixture.