BCCI introduces new rules for domestic cricket | Check Details

PTC Web Desk: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially launched the 2024 edition of the Ranji Trophy, the country’s premier domestic cricket tournament. In a bid to enhance the game and address certain concerns, the board has introduced several rule changes.

According to reports, the BCCI has enforced stricter regulations regarding the use of saliva on the ball and the treatment of players who retire hurt during matches. A press release detailing these changes was sent to state teams on Thursday evening.

As per the report from Cricbuzz, these new rules will apply to all domestic matches organised by the BCCI, including multi-day games and limited-overs formats.

Key Rule Changes

Retirement from Batting: Under the new guidelines, batsmen who retire without suffering from an injury, illness, or other valid reasons will be considered out. Importantly, such players will not be allowed to return to bat, even with the opposing captain’s consent.

Penalties for Saliva Use: In a significant shift, if a bowler or fielder applies saliva to the ball during play, the fielding team will incur a penalty, and the ball will be immediately replaced. Additionally, the players will receive warnings for such actions.

Overthrow Runs: The BCCI has also revised the rules regarding runs scored from overthrows. If a batter stops running after taking one run, and the ball crosses the boundary before both batters can cross, only four runs will be added to the score. Earlier, both the runs taken and the overthrow runs were counted towards the batter's total.