The BCCI has dropped a mid-season bombshell in IPL 2026. A new rule, quietly issued to all team managers, now strictly controls how benched players can behave during a live match. With three controversial incidents already going around in the tournament in just 13 games, the timing of this rule could not be more significant.
What the New Rule Says
According to the official BCCI communication, as reported by Cricbuzz, the new guidelines state three clear points:
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Benched players are not allowed to move around the ground during a game.
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Extra players outside the designated 16 named in the team sheet cannot enter the field with drinks, bats or to deliver messages.
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No more than 5 players wearing bibs can move around the boundary rope. These five can be from the nominated 16 or from the rest of the squad.
The Avesh Khan Connection
Thisââââââââââââââââ rule seems to have stemmed from the Avesh Khan boundary controversy during the SRH vs LSG match on April 5. Avesh Khan was standing beyond the boundary rope and when Rishabh Pant hit the winning shot, he hit the ball back into the field with his bat.
SRH then lodged a formal complaint with BCCI, highlighting the unfair play, citing Laws 20.1 and 41. Quick action by BCCI against bench movement is the clear intention behind this measure being a prevention of these types of incidents in ââââââââââââââââfuture.
How This Rule Will Change the Game
BCCI’sââââââââââââââââ fresh bench movement rule is definitely going to change the way franchises oversee their dugout environment on the days of matches. Also, the IPL dugout has always been a place of intense emotions: players jumping, celebrating, and wandering near the boundary rope.
That part is gone now. Manager of the teams should always control the location of players near the rope, which is a big additional responsibility that didn’t exist before. And while chasing the last over, this becomes an extremely difficult task.
The fact that this regulation was introduced cannot be separated from the Impact Player system. The latter was developed to make IPL more interesting. However, the introduction of matchday squads with more members has resulted in more people hanging around the boundary than before.
If we consider up to 16 players named, plus additional squad members, the roped-off area has been getting increasingly crowded. The BCCI’s command is aimed directly at the problem of overcrowding.
From the officiating perspective, the umpires on the field now have a clearer role. Whenever players move near the rope without permission, they can step in, even without the teams’ formal appeal.
So, it gives them much more power to take decisions at the crucial points. Therefore, it significantly changes the ways umpiring decisions can be triggered during play.
In fact, under this rule, the authorities aim to ensure that such a serious mistake as Avesh Khan’s is not repeated.
In addition to strategy and rules, the psychological factor must be considered. Now, bench players have to behave and restrain themselves, even though it is the energy of the dugout that brings life to the boundary. In a game where one ball can determine the fate of a whole season, it turns out that being well-behaved near the boundary is not against the rules anymore. In fact, it is difficult to avoid such a situation, since the BCCI has made it a requirement.
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