The BCCI has reportedly issued new instructions to IPL franchises that tighten how unused squad members can operate during a match. Under the updated Match Playing Conditions, players who are not part of the designated 16-man match team are not permitted to enter the playing area, even for routine on-field tasks.
Quick facts
- BCCI has reportedly told IPL teams that substitutes not listed in the 16-man team sheet cannot enter the field during the match.
- Those substitutes are also barred from carrying items such as drinks or bats onto the field.
- The ability to move around the ground is restricted to only the five players outside the playing XI.
- The change is described as an addition to clauses 11.5.2 and 24.1.4 of the MPC.
The reported guidance also limits communication and assistance roles for those who are not named in the match squad. Multiple sources cited in the report suggest that substitutes who are not in the set group will not be allowed to “enter the field with drinks, bats, or to deliver messages.”
Franchises have been told that these instructions were shared only recently, with the core message that substitutes cannot roam during the game. They are likewise not allowed to bring drinks onto the field, while only the 16 players listed for the match are permitted to carry out such on-field movement.
Beyond that, the rules narrow the number of additional personnel allowed to circulate on the ground. Only five players outside the playing XI can move around during the contest, while the rest must remain seated in the dugout rather than travelling between the boundary line and the LED advertising boards.
What the MPC says
The new ruling is framed as an add-on to existing language in the MPC, specifically clauses 11.5.2 and 24.1.4. Together, they outline when players may receive drinks and what non-playing squad members must do when they are present in the playing area.
Clause 11.5.2 states that a player can be provided with a drink either at the boundary edge or at the fall of a wicket, as long as no playing time is lost. It also clarifies that no other drinks may be taken onto the field without approval from the umpires, and that any player carrying drinks onto the pitch must be in proper cricket attire, subject to the use of bibs.
Clause 24.1.4 addresses squad members of the batting or fielding side who are not playing and are not acting as substitute fielders. It requires such members to wear a team training bib while they are on the playing area, including the stretch between the boundary and the perimeter fencing.
