BCCI approves Serious Injury Replacement in multiday domestic cricket

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has introduced a Serious Injury Replacement mechanism for multiday domestic matches in the 2025-26 season, allowing teams to substitute a player who suffers a serious injury during play with a like-for-like replacement. The rule, to be used in red-ball competitions such as the Ranji Trophy and the Duleep Trophy, will come into effect from the start of the domestic season and is designed to preserve competitive balance when a key player is ruled out by a visible, external injury. Final approval rests with on-field umpires and the match referee after consultation with a ground doctor, and replacements must come from players already nominated as substitutes at the toss.

Under the new provision, if a player sustains a serious injury during the course of the match, a Serious Injury Replacement may be permitted if the injury occurred within the playing area, resulted from an external blow, and renders the player unable to continue. The replacement must be a like-for-like player, chosen from those named as substitutes at the start of the game, and the decision to approve the substitution rests with the on-field umpires, who may seek the match...