In a significant move following Rishabh Pant’s unfortunate injury during the fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to introduce a serious injury replacement rule. From the 2025-26 season onwards, teams in India’s multi-day domestic tournaments will be allowed to field a replacement if a player suffers a major injury that rules him out of further participation in the ongoing match.
This new clause has been added under the Serious Injury section of the BCCI’s Playing Conditions. According to the rule, if a cricketer sustains an injury within the playing area that prevents him from continuing, the team management can seek approval for a replacement.
The law clearly states: “If a player sustains a serious injury during the course of the relevant match, a Serious Injury Replacement may be permitted in the following circumstances.”
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The landmark change will come into effect starting with the Duleep Trophy 2025, the opening event of India’s domestic cricket season. While the rule has been welcomed by many, cricketing experts believe the BCCI must ensure strict monitoring to prevent misuse of the clause, as any loophole could potentially be exploited to gain an unfair edge. As of now, an official confirmation regarding the fine details of the rule is still awaited from the board.
🚨 NEW RULE 🚨
BCCI introduces ‘Serious Injury Replacement’ rule for 2025-26 season in multi-day formats, allowing a like-for-like replacement – somewhat similar to concussion replacement – in case of a major injury to any player.#CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/C9WGOEHyh9
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) August 16, 2025
Interestingly, this development aligns with the views of India’s current head coach, Gautam Gambhir, who recently voiced strong support for such a measure. After the Manchester Test, Gautam Gambhir had emphasised that fairness and competitiveness should not be compromised when a player is forced off due to serious injury.
“Absolutely, I’m all for it,” Gautam Gambhir said. “If the umpires and the match referee feel it is a genuine case, then a replacement should be allowed. Imagine being forced to play with ten men in a high-intensity Test series—that can be hugely unfair. This rule can protect the balance of a contest.”
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With the introduction of this injury replacement policy, the BCCI has taken a proactive step to safeguard players and maintain fairness in domestic cricket. All eyes will now be on the upcoming season to see how smoothly this rule is implemented.
