The TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is just three nights away from entering its 19th edition. All teams are gearing up for the upcoming tournament, which will run for more than two months. IPL 2025 champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will be facing Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on the opening day. Ahead of the IPL, there has been a new rule change.
The rule change has been in place during the game; all the IPL captains have been warned about fielder movement before and after completing a catch. All 10 franchise captains have been informed that the fielder must have complete control of the ball and his body before the catch is considered complete and celebrations begin.
New catching rule in IPL
Clause 33.3 and Page 64 of the Playing conditions state an oft-repeated point: “The act of making a catch shall start from the time when the ball first comes into contact with a fielder’s person and shall end when a fielder obtains complete control over both the ball and his own movement.”
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The rule previously existed for a long time. However, during a meeting of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday evening, captains were shown video recordings of various catches, some of which were deemed unfair.
Impact player rule to stay for two more seasons
At least one incident clearly demonstrated the problem, with officials emphasising that a fielder’s body must be completely under control for the catch to be declared legal. This rule, the teams were assured, will be strictly followed. BCCI head of match referee Javagal Srinath and BCCI head of Umpire panel Nitin Menon addressed this particular section of the 90-minute meeting.
All 10 captains were present in Mumbai for the captains’ photoshoot with the trophy. It was also discussed that the ‘Impact Player’ rule will be there for another two seasons and will be reviewed after the 2027 season. Though many captains have voiced their disagreement with this rule.
Captains not happy with impact player rules
Previously, Axar Patel voiced his concern over the impact player rule, saying that he does not like it personally, being an all-rounder, and pointed out that because of the rule, the coaching staff goes for either a specialist batter or a bowler.
“It was discussed, and it was made clear to all of us that the Impact Player rule is here to stay for at least two more seasons,” said a franchise member who attended Wednesday’s meeting.
During the captain’s photoshoot, they had a fun moment against each other playing with a tennis ball cricket on a closed box turf. The IPL is the oldest running franchise league in world cricket.
The impact player rule has advantages and disadvantages; the rule allows teams to bat deeper, leading to more explosive batting and higher-scoring games. It helps teams balance the disadvantages of batting or bowling first based on the pitch conditions. The extra batting cushion often makes it harder for bowlers to make a difference.
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