5 changes to ODI cricket rules over the years

#2 Powerplay

ICC have tweaked the powerplays often in the last decade

The term powerplay was first used by the ICC in 2005 to implement three sets of fielding restrictions during the game. For the first 10 overs only two fielders were allowed outside the 30-yard circle and then five overs of two powerplays each were taken by the fielding side during the game with a maximum of three fielders outside the infield during the five-over powerplays.

In 2008, the batting team was given the right to decide the timing of one of the other two power plays. In 2011 again, ICC brought in new changes wherein the powerplays were now needed to be done away with between the 16th and the 41st over. During the non-powerplay overs, teams were allowed a maximum of five fielders outside the 30-yard circle.

The next wave of powerplay rule changes came in 2012 when the ICC decided to give more leverage to the batsmen by reducing the number of players outside the 30-yard circle in non-powerplay overs to four and two powerplays instead of three with the introduction of batting powerplay.

In 2015 though, this rule was further amended to do away with the batting powerplay and allowed five fielders outside the 30-yard circle in the last ten overs of an ODI innings.And so, the current ODI format has three powerplay passages during the game.

Powerplay one (P1) from overs 1 to 10 with a maximum of two fielders outside the 30 yard circle, powerplay two (P2) from overs 11 to 40 with a maximum of four fielders outside the 30-yard circle and powerplay three (P3) from 41 to 50 with a maximum of five fielders outside the 30 yard circle.