BCCI to implement new rules to make Indian T20 League more exciting

The 15^th edition of the Indian T20 League saw the 10 franchises fighting it out for two long months. The tournament got its winner in the form of the debutants, Gujarat led by Hardik Pandya. The season saw many records being tumbled in the history of the cash-rich league. One of the records going down was that of the most sixes hit in an Indian T20 League season.

Before the season started the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made a few changes to the existing rules. One of the major changes in the rule was the addition of an extra review in each innings. Previously the teams were allowed only one review in each innings. The number increased to two for the 15^th edition of the tournament.

Another change that was made was in accordance with the changes made by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). The new rule states that if a batter gets out caught, the new batter has to take strike even if the players have crossed during the catch. Notably, this rule change is yet to be implemented in international cricket and will be in play from October 1, 2022.

The new changes gave the bowlers a much-needed edge and turned out to be a hit in the tournament. Before the Indian T20 League moves into its next season, let us take a look at a few more rule changes that might be introduced in the tournament to make it more attractive and intense.

1. Extra fielder outside the inner ring in death overs: According to the current rules in Indian T20 League, only two fielders are allowed outside the 30-yard circle in the mandatory powerplay overs (first six overs of the innings) of the match. The batters try and take full advantage of these fielding restrictions and score as many runs as possible during the stage.

To bring bowlers on equal foot in the competition, an extra fielder may be allowed outside the inner circle during the death overs (16^th – 20^th overs). At present five fielders are allowed outside the 30-yard-circle after the powerplays and throughout the innings. But allowing the sixth fielder for the last five overs might be an innovative introduction to the game. This will make the batters think about how to score maximum runs in the last few overs of the innings.