BCCI Introduced ‘Serious Injury Replacement’ Rule In Domestic Cricket From 2025–26. BCCI has introduced a new plan to affect domestic cricket by unveiling a new ‘Serious Injury Replacement’ policy for 2025-26. The rule is similar to the concussion substitute, with teams in multi-day formats able to have a like-for-like replacement for a major injury sustained in a match.
Applies Only to Multi-Day Competitions
The rule will only apply to multi-day tournaments such as the Ranji, Duleep and CK Nayudu Trophy, while not extending to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (T20s) or the Vijay Hazare Trophy (ODIs). The decision comes after incidents in the Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy earlier this year, where, for example, when Rishabh Pant and Chris Woakes were injured, their teams were left considerably weakened mid-match.
Under the new system, a replacement can be requested if a player suffers a serious injury – i.e., fracture, dislocation, or major laceration. The request for a replacement will go to the on-field umpires and match referee to consider, and they will only allow the replacement if they are satisfied that it is a genuine and fair like-for-like replacement.
After receiving approval, the injured player will no longer participate in the game – as both players will be documented in the match statistics.
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The purpose of the rule is clear: to protect players’ welfare and ensure competitive fairness. The BCCI has said that they have consulted with coaches and officials who have generally endorsed the move, but some voices internationally are hesitant about how the rule will be potentially exploited.
With the introduction of this rule in 2025-26, it is possible that this could be the beginning of similar rules in either future IPL seasons or international cricket as well.
