The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has further tightened the rules to matches for IPL 2026. Some changes were made even before the start of the season, but now the board has issued strict guidelines especially for those players who are not included in the playing eleven. Adherence to these rules will be mandatory for all teams and players, otherwise disciplinary action can be taken.

What is the new instruction of BCCI

According to the new instructions, players sitting on the bench during the match will no longer be able to roam around the field unnecessarily. Earlier it was a common practice that reserve players used to come and go on the field carrying drinks, bats or team messages, but now this has been completely banned. Only those 16 players, whose names appear in the official team sheet for the match, will be able to enter the field if necessary.

Apart from this, BCCI has also limited the number of players present near the boundary line. Now only a maximum of five players can stay around the boundary rope and these should also be from among the 16 nominated players. All other players will have to sit in the dugout only and will not be allowed to go between the boundary line and the LED advertisement board.

How many squads of players do IPL teams have?

It is noteworthy that IPL teams usually have a squad of around 25 players, but only 16 players are included in the team sheet in every match. The new rules have been brought to more strictly enforce the relevant sections of the Match Playing Conditions (MPC). Earlier also there were rules regarding carrying of drinks and stay of substitute players in the field, but now special emphasis is being laid on following them.

According to team sources, recently clear instructions have been given to all the franchises that non-selected players will not roam around the ground nor will they be able to go inside with drinks or other items. The purpose of these changes is to maintain discipline during the match and further strengthen the professionalism of the game.