The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has tightened operational rules for teams during matches in the Indian Premier League (IPL), placing stricter limits on the movement of substitute and bench players around the field.

Under the revised match protocols, players who are not part of the official match-day squad of 16 will no longer be allowed to step into the playing area during games. The directive, recently communicated to team managers, also prevents these non-designated substitutes from carrying drinks, bats or tactical messages to players on the field.

While the BCCI has traditionally maintained strict control over player conduct during matches, the latest move further reinforces its grip on both team managements and the players themselves.

The new guidelines also cap the number of squad members allowed near the boundary during play. At any given time, only five players wearing training bibs are permitted to move around the boundary rope. These five individuals may be from the match-day 16 or the remaining squad members, but the number cannot exceed five simultaneously. Players often stationed in this area typically assist with returning balls hit to the boundary or carrying refreshments during breaks in play.

Also read: LSG aim to improve their home record against Gujarat Titans

Team sources confirmed that the restrictions were communicated shortly before the latest round of matches. “Instructions were conveyed to us recently that substitutes outside the match-day 16 cannot move around the ground during a game. They are also not allowed to carry drinks onto the field. Only those named in the 16 can perform those roles,” team officials said.

“Apart from that, only five players outside the playing XI can move around the boundary. The rest must remain in the dugout and cannot stand between the boundary rope and the LED boards,” they said.

Most IPL squads consist of up to 25 players, though only 16 are officially listed on the team sheet for any given match. The latest directive effectively strengthens two existing clauses in the match playing conditions, 11.5.2 and 24.1.4, which regulate the delivery of drinks to players and require non-playing squad members on the field to wear team training bibs.

So far, 14 matches have been played in IPL 2026, with the stricter implementation beginning from the clash between Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans in Delhi on Wednesday.

By Joe Williams