BCCI rings in new ‘serious injury replacement’ rule in domestic cricket after Rishabh Pant's England woes - Explained

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has rung in a new change in his playing conditions which will be applicable in the upcoming 2025-26 domestic season. Called as ‘Serious Injury Replacement’ rule, the new BCCI rule came in light of Rishabh Pant’s foot fracture during the Test series against England which led him to miss wicketkeeping for two consecutive Tests at Lord's (third) and Old Trafford (fourth).

Based on the new rule, which will come into effect from CK Nayudu Trophy, the ‘Serious Injury Replacement’ rule will allow the teams to replace players in case of a serious injury - somewhat similar in line to the concussion replacement rules. However, the rule will not be implemented in Syed Mushtaq Ali (T20s) or Vijay Hazare Trophy (one-dayers) and only be restricted in multi-day events for now.

The revised playing conditions states that if a player sustains a serious injury during the match within the field of play, a Serious Injury Replacement will be allowed according to what described in the clause.

What does Serious Injury Replacement rule state?

• 1.2.8.1 - If a player sustains a serious injury during the course of the relevant match, a Serious Injury Replacement may be permitted in the following circumstances:
• 1.2.8.1.1 - the serious injury must have been sustained during play and within the playing area described in clause 1.2.5.2 above. The injury must have occurred due to an external blow and result in fracture / deep cut / dislocation etc. The injury should render player unavailable for remainder of the match.
• 1.2.8.1.2 - on-field umpires shall be final authority do decide on extend of serious injury and allowance of Serious Injury Replacement. They may consult BCCI Match Referee and / or doctor available on ground.
• 1.2.8.1.3 - The Team Manager shall submit a Serious Injury Replacement Request to the BCCI Match Referee on a standard form, which shall:
• 1.2.8.1.3.1 - identify the player who has sustained the serious injury.
• 1.2.8.1.3.2 - specify the incident in which the serious injury was sustained, including the time at which it occurred.
• 1.2.8.1.3.3 - confirm that, the player has sustained a serious injury and will not be able to participate further in the match due to the injury; and
• 1.2.8.1.3.4 - identify the requested Serious Injury Replacement, who shall be like-for-like replacement for the player who has sustained the serious injury.
• 1.2.8.1.3.5 - In all circumstances serious injury replacement player shall be from nominated substitutes at the time of toss (For Col C K Nayudu Trophy from the time of nomination of players). Only in the case where wicket-keeper is seriously injured and needs a replacement then Match Referee may allow a wicket-keeper from player outside the nominated substitutes if there is no wicket-keeper in the nominated substitutes.
• 1.2.8.2 - The Serious Injury Replacement Request must be submitted to the BCCI Match Referee as soon as possible after the incident specified in clause 1.2.8.1.3.2 if a Serious Injury Replacement is to be permitted.
• 1.2.8.3 - The BCCI Match Referee should ordinarily approve a Serious Injury Replacement Request if the replacement is a like-for-like player whose inclusion will not excessively advantage his team for the remainder of the match.
• 1.2.8.4 - In assessing whether the nominated Serious Injury Replacement should be considered a like-for-like player, the BCCI Match Referee should consider the likely role that the seriously injured player would have played during the remainder of the match, and the normal role that would be performed by the nominated Serious Injury Replacement.
• 1.2.8.5 - If the BCCI Match Referee believes that the inclusion of the nominated Serious Injury Replacement, when performing their normal role, would excessively advantage their team, the BCCI Match Referee may impose such conditions upon the identity and involvement of the Serious Injury Replacement as he/she sees fit, in line with the overriding objective of facilitating a like-for-like replacement for the seriously injured player. For clarity, a Serious Injury replacement will inherit all warnings, penalty time and suspensions that were imposed on the replaced player.
• 1.2.8.6 - The BCCI Match Referee may, in reviewing a Serious Injury Replacement Request made in accordance with clause 1.2.8.1.3 request any such further information as may be required in order to make the determination required under clauses 1.2.8.4 and 1.2.8.5.
• 1.2.8.7 - The decision of the BCCI Match Referee in relation to any Serious Injury Replacement Request shall be final and neither team shall have any right of appeal.
• 1.2.8.8 - Once the Serious Injury Replacement has been approved by the BCCI Match Referee, the replaced player shall take no further part in the match.
• 1.2.8.9 - Both the Serious Injury Replacement and the replaced player shall be considered to have played in the match for records and statistical purposes.

What had happened with Rishabh Pant in England?

Pant's first injury in England came on the opening day of the Third Test at Lord's. He injured his left index finger while attempting to field a wide ball from Jasprit Bumrah. Such was the pain, Pant had to leave the field immediately and did not return to keep wickets for the rest of the game. While he only came out to bat, Dhruv Jurel kept wickets for India.

Although he recovered before the fourth Test, the southpaw injured himself once again on the first day of the Manchester Test, this time a more serious one. Trying to reverse sweep a Chris Woakes delivery, the ball landed directly on Pant's right foot, leaving him grimacing in pain.

The 27-year-old was immediately taken off the ground in a golf cart. Although he came out to bat later in the innings on the second day, medical scans showed Pant fractured his toe. Like at Lord's, Jurel did the job behind the wickets in Manchester Test, which ended in a draw.

He was eventually ruled out of the fifth Test at The Oval which India won by six runs to level the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2-2.