The BCCI has formally introduced a new clause in its playing conditions for the 2025–26 domestic season, allowing “Serious Injury Replacements” in multi-day cricket. The move, inspired by incidents in the recent Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy between India and England, is one of the most significant amendments to the game’s rules in years.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The rule was sparked by the dramatic fourth and fifth Tests of the series, where Rishabh Pant fractured his foot and Chris Woakes dislocated his shoulder, leaving both teams effectively a player short. While concussion substitutes have been in place for several years, no provision existed for replacements due to other serious injuries.“If a player sustains a serious injury during the course of the relevant match, a Serious Injury Replacement may be permitted,” the BCCI’s updated Playing Conditions state. The injury must occur within the field of play and be the result of an external blow, such as a fracture, deep cut, or dislocation.The call for such a move had drawn mixed reactions. India head coach Gautam Gambhir, speaking after Pant’s injury in Manchester, welcomed the change: “Absolutely, I’m all for it. If umpires and referees see it’s a major injury, why should a team be punished? Imagine playing 10 vs 11 in a closely fought Test. There’s nothing wrong with allowing a visible, like-for-like replacement.”However, England captain Ben Stokes dismissed the concept outright: “It’s absolutely ridiculous that there’s even a conversation around injury replacements. Injuries are part of the game. I understand concussion replacements for player safety, but this will create loopholes. You pick your eleven; that’s it.”Despite Stokes’ stance, his own teammate Woakes’ dislocated shoulder in the very next Test added weight to the calls for reform.Serious Injury Replacement: The Rules in Detail
- Replacements must be like-for-like and drawn from the nominated substitutes named at the toss.
- The match referee, after consultation with doctors and on-field umpires, will decide on the legitimacy of the replacement.
- A replacement player inherits all warnings, penalty time, or suspensions of the injured player.
- Wicketkeeper replacements may be permitted from outside the nominated substitutes if no reserve keeper is available.
- Both the injured player and the replacement will be recorded as having played the match.
The BCCI clarified that this rule will only apply to multi-day domestic tournaments, including the CK Nayudu Trophy (U19s), and will not extend to white-ball competitions like the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy or Vijay Hazare Trophy for now. The Indian Premier League (IPL) also remains outside its scope.The rule has already been explained to umpires at a seminar in Ahmedabad, with the BCCI stressing that the match referee’s decision is final and not open to appeal.TOI had reported on July 25 that the ICC is contemplating the introduction of injury replacements.Although the International Cricket Council (ICC) has yet to implement such a rule, India’s domestic experiment could pave the way for wider discussions on whether Test cricket should evolve to shield teams from the setback of untimely injuries.
