The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has introduced several new rules for the 2016-27 season. As per the new rule, a bowler will be suspended for bowling a deliberate front-foot no-ball.
According to a media report, the BCCI has circulated the revised playing rules to all state associations, adopting the latest law changes introduced by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). MCC is a law-making body based at Lord’s in London.
After the implementation of the new rules, if a bowler is found guilty of deliberately bowling a front-foot no-ball or a delivery which doesn’t land on the pitch, he/she would be suspended for the remainder of the game.
A similar approach will be taken for beamers. If match officials decide that a bowler has intentionally delivered an above-waist full toss, the player would face a match-long suspension.
What other new rules introduced by BCCI?
Apart from the above rule, BCCI has adopted the latest MCC law wherein wicketkeepers would have to remain completely behind the stumps at the time when the ball comes into play.
Not only this, if a wicket fell during the last scheduled over of the day, play could end before the over was completed. However, under the new rules, the over must now be completed with all six legal deliveries before stumps are called.
Ahead of next month’s Duleep Trophy, which will also mark the start of the domestic season, state associations have begun educating umpires and match referees about the new playing conditions.
”There will be some awareness programmes for officials, besides making the relevant parts of the circular available to them. We have good enough time to do all this as domestic season is almost a month away,” an official told PTI.
For those unversed, the 2026-27 season of domestic cricket in India will commence with the Duleep Trophy on August 23.