5 rule changes that have taken place in the IPL since its inception

The 13th edition of the IPL is all set to kick-start on the 19th September in the UAE. It has been a long journey which started in the year 2008. Things can seldom remain unchanged over time and one has to adapt according to situations to be successful. Cricket in general and IPL, in particular, have not been an exception to this.

IPL has evolved and adapted to the changes that have come in terms of technology. Certain requirements of the fans and cricketing fraternity have also influenced the tinkering of rules.

Let us here take a look at the major changes have taken place to the rules governing IPL over the years.

5 Rules that have changed in IPL

#1. Introduction of auto no-balls

Lasith Malinga bowling a no ball against RCB

The Third Umpire will be monitoring every delivery to identify whether the bowler has overstepped throughout the IPL. The IPL authorities decided to introduce this technology on the back of mounting pressure from various corners regarding missed no-balls.

On-field umpires have tended to miss quite a few instances of bowlers overstepping. Umpires missed a total of 21 no-balls during a Test match between Australia and Pakistan at Brisbane in 2019.

An illegal delivery by Malinga in the last ball of a match between MI and RCB during 2019 IPL was also missed. RCB needed 7 runs to defeat Mumbai off the last ball and ended up losing by 6 runs.

This technology was tried in India during the T20 and ODI series against the West Indies in 2019. This has been adopted in the ongoing series between England and Pakistan as well.

Well, well, well. Controversy here. Apparently, the last ball by Lasith Malinga was a no-ball but was not called by the umpires. However, they can't do anything now. @BCCI @IPL What's your excuse for this?Poor umpiring!#RCBvMI pic.twitter.com/R2wWlumthU

— Namma Team RCB Official (@nammateamrcb) March 28, 2019

2. Decision Review System

MS Dhoni asking for a review

DRS was used in IPL for the first time only in the 2018 season. It was used for the first time in an international T20 match only in October 2017. The Pakistan Super League (PSL) became the first T20 league to introduce DRS when it was implemented in early 2018.

Ball-tracking technology and ultra-edge will be used as a part of DRS in the IPL. The primary focus of introducing this was to reduce the impact of major umpiring errors. The quality of umpires, especially the Indian officials, has not been entirely satisfactory in the past.

MS Dhoni making a ‘T-signal’ (which denotes a DRS request) against an umpiring howler in the 2017 IPL was an iconic moment. DRS was yet to be implemented at that time.

First introduced in Test matches in 2008 and ODIS in 2011, ICC hadn’t made it mandatory in all international tournaments and was left optional to the competing teams and India had often opted against it in the initial years.

3. Mankading

Ashwin mankading Buttler

Mankading was a part of cricketing laws for over a century. But it had been scrapped by the ICC only to be reintroduced in 2011. Mankading was not legal in the initial seasons of the IPL and became part of it only from the 2012 season.

The term ‘Mankading’ refers to a situation when a bowler runs out a batsman at the non-striker’s end who leaves the crease before the bowler delivers the ball.

The term came into vogue when India’s Vinoo Mankad had run out Bill Brown of Australia in this way during a Test match in 1947. Even though it is legal, people have had differing opinions about its morality.

Controversy erupted last year when Ravichandran Ashwin of King’s XI Punjab mankaded Jos Buttler who was batting for Rajasthan Royals. Some experts had raised the point was it wasn’t a great advertisement for sports. On the contrary, a lot of others had come out in support of Ashwin saying that this could stop batsmen trying to take undue advantage by backing up early.

How to keep distance from memories during a #21daylockdown? 🙈 https://t.co/GIQbX6bsqv

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) March 25, 2020

4. Run out rule – bat in the air

Rohit Sharma getting runout in 2017 Champions Trophy

The bat bouncing off the ground after the batsman grounds it behind the crease in his attempted dive or otherwise is a common scenario that we see in cricket.

The batsman would have been adjudged run out if the bat is in the air when the stumps are dislodged by the keeper, irrespective of the fact whether he had grounded earlier or not. However, this rule was changed by ICC in 2017.

A batsman can no longer be adjudged run out if his bat bounces after being grounded behind the crease. This rule has been applicable in IPL from the 2018 edition.

Rohit Sharma was unlucky to be dismissed in this manner against Pakistan in the 2017 Champions Trophy group stage match. It also happened to Evin Lewis of the West Indies when he lost the grip of the bat after a collision while playing against Pakistan in 2016-17.

5. Concussion substitute

Steve Smith after getting hit on the head by Jofra Archer

The new rule introduced by ICC allowing a substitute for players who suffer concussions will be applicable for the first time in IPL 2020. The concussion rules were introduced after the tragic demise of Australian batsman Phillip Hughes in a domestic game in 2014.

Any player getting hit on the head has to mandatorily undergo a concussion test. In case it is found that he is suffering from a concussion, the team has the option to substitute the player. However, it has to be a ‘like-for-like’ replacement. The match referee has the authority to decide this.

The Concussion substitute rule was initially tried out in domestic games of Australia and England for a couple of years. It was introduced in international cricket in 2019. Marnus Labuschagne became the first concussion substitute when he replaced Steve Smith who was hit on the head by a bouncer from Jofra Archer.