IPL 2025: BCCI Introduces Unique Replacement Rules, Including Partial Replacements and Emergency Wicketkeeper Provision

Since the Indian Premier League (IPL) began, it has had some special rules for player replacements. If a player gets injured and is ruled out for the whole season, the franchises are given a lot of flexibility to find a suitable replacement.

It might seem like temporary arrangements aren't allowed, but according to a report in Cricbuzz, the BCCI has made exceptions for certain special situations where partial replacements are permitted.

The BCCI has informed the franchises about the rules for allowing partial player replacements. They also mentioned the creation of a pool called the Registered Available Player Pool, which will include players available for selection as replacements. The team can pick replacement players from the pool. The idea of the pool has already been explained. If all the wicketkeepers in a team’s squad are unavailable for a match, the team should request a special exemption from the BCCI.

If a team’s specialist wicketkeeper is unavailable, the BCCI may allow the team to bring in a temporary replacement wicketkeeper from outside the registered squad. This replacement can stay with the team until one of the regular wicketkeepers is fit and ready to play, after which the replacement will no longer be allowed to play for the team.

“In such circumstances, the franchisee shall immediately inform the BCCI upon any of its specialist wicketkeepers becoming eligible to play after any such period of unavailability. If one of the unavailable wicket keepers in a franchisee’s Registered Squad is an Overseas player and that Franchisee has its full quota of 8 Overseas players, the Replacement Player may not be an Overseas player," the communication says.

According to the managers of IPL teams quoted by Cricbuzz, this is a rare rule. No franchise has ever used it in the last 17 seasons.