Rishabh Pant’s foot injury in the Manchester Test against England has prompted the BCCI to implement a significant rule change for multi-day domestic tournaments.
BCCI Introduces Serious Injury Replacement Rule for Multi-Day Domestic Tournaments
The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy between England and India delivered thrilling cricket, ending in a 2-2 draw. Amid the excitement, players like Rishabh Pant and Chris Woakes batted despite serious injuries. Rishabh Pant fractured his foot in the fourth Test at Manchester after an inside edge from a reverse sweep, while Woakes dislocated his shoulder in the series decider at the Oval.
These injuries sparked a debate on whether replacements should be allowed during Test matches to maintain competitiveness. While India head coach Gautam Gambhir supported the idea, England captain Ben Stokes opposed it.
In response, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has assessed Rishabh Pant case and amended playing conditions for the upcoming domestic season. Multi-day tournaments like the Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy will now allow “serious injury replacements.” Official communication has been sent to all state associations, and match officials and umpires have been briefed.
The new rule states, “If a player sustains a serious injury during the course of the relevant match, a Serious Injury Replacement may be permitted. The injury must occur during play and within the designated playing area.” Under this regulation, like-for-like replacements will be allowed but only in multi-day tournaments. It will not apply to shorter formats such as the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy or Vijay Hazare Trophy.
The rule will also apply to the multi-day Under-19 CK Nayudu Trophy. Whether it will be implemented in the 2026 edition of the IPL remains to be seen.
What did Gambhir and Stokes say?
After Rishabh Pant fractured his foot in Manchester, India head coach Gautam Gambhir advocated for injury replacements to maintain balance in closely contested matches.
“Absolutely, I’m all for it. If the umpires and match referee see and feel that it’s a major injury, I think it’s very important. Having a rule for substitutes in such cases is essential, especially in a tightly fought series. Imagine playing with 10 men against 11—it would be very unfortunate,” Gambhir told reporters after the drawn Manchester Test.
With the BCCI introducing this significant rule change for domestic multi-day tournaments, it remains to be seen whether the ICC will consider implementing a similar provision in international cricket.
