The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has introduced the playing conditions and allowed injury replacements in multi-day cricket for the upcoming domestic season after Rishabh Pant’s injury during the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

The rule change will allow like-for-like replacements for players who can no longer take part in a match due to an injury.

The rule will currently apply to only multi-day events in the Indian domestic cricket event organized by BCCI or its affiliated for the 2025-26 seasons.

The BCCI had added a new clause to its playing conditions under the series injury section, where a player who has undergone an extreme injury during an ongoing game which does not allow him to take any further part in the game, then a replacement may be allowed in such case.

“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,” the newly-introduced rule in the Playing Conditions states. “The serious injury must have been sustained during play and within the playing area described in clause.”

The supposed rule change came after Rishabh Pant’s injur replacement where Ben Stokes calling it a ridiculous suggestion and Gautam Gambhir welcoming it.

One player from each side – Rishabh Pant and Chris Woakes – suffered major injuries during the fourth and fifth tests, rendering them unfit to continue in the Tests.

The BCCI introduced the rule in playing conditions for the 2025-26 season in the multi-day cricket under a new sub-head ‘serious injury replacement’ stating that a like-for-like replacement, somewhat similar to concussion replacement rules, will be allowed.

There were a few other rule changes too – on deliberate short run and retiring batsman but the serious injury replacement is an introduction to the playing conditions for the upcoming domestic season.

A fractured foot and dislocated shoulder prevented Pant and Chris Woakes taking part in fourth and fifth Tests prompting calls for a replacement rule which is still to be approved by the International Cricket Council (ICC).