Only two matches have been played in the new IPL season, and clarity regarding many of the new rules is still slowly emerging. While some new rules have been implemented for IPL 2026, some old rules have been modified.
One such major decision has been made regarding the Decision Review System (DRS), which will curb team manipulation. The BCCI has made this significant change regarding the use of DRS, under which the third umpire will review only the decisions for which an appeal has been made. This means that there will now be only one check per DRS.
Cricbuzz reports that this change was announced in a meeting of all 10 captains before the start of the new season. BCCI’s Head of Match Referees, Javagal Srinath and Head of Umpires, Nitan Menon, explained the changes to the teams in detail and explained how they will be used. Now the question is what exactly the changes are and how they will be implemented.
What will happen to DRS now?
In fact, until last season, when a DRS referral was made, the umpire would also conduct other checks in addition to the decision against which the appeal was made. For example, when a catch appeal was rejected, the fielding team would also conduct a DRS check for a wide ball. However, this will no longer be the case. Now, if the fielding team appeals for a catch, the TV umpire will only make his decision based on this.
If a batter believes that his bat did not touch the ball and the ball should have been given a wide, he will also have to appeal for a DRS referral. However, an important aspect is that the batter must make this appeal within the first 15 seconds. After the TV umpire’s decision, he will not be given an additional 15 seconds to appeal again.
Concussion rules also changed.
Several other rules have also undergone minor but significant changes. A major decision has also been made regarding the concussion substitute. If a player needs to be replaced due to a concussion, a similar player will be included on the team, but selected from the same five initially selected as impact substitutes. If the wicketkeeper needs to be replaced, this responsibility will be given to someone from the squad selected for this match. If a foreign player suffers a concussion, they can only be replaced if there are three foreign players in the playing eleven; otherwise, an Indian player will replace them.
