Mumbai, March 30: The IPL 2021 is around the corner and teams have started their preparatory camps with several stars joining their respective franchises. The BCCI has set in place stringent measures in the wake of the Covid 19 pandemic including creating a bio-secure bubble.
At this point, the matches will be held behind closed doors and there are other steps too. As a continuously evolving format, the IPL 2021 will also see some new rules in the place. Here is an overall view of them.
1. Match duration
The BCCI has stipulated the 20-over innings duration to 90 minutes (total duration of 180 minutes), provided there is no interruption like rain delays. It is divided as 85 minutes of match time and five minutes for timeouts. In the case of any delays, four minutes and 15 seconds will be reduced for each over lost from the total time. The minimum over-rate should be achieved in an hour has also been stipulated as 14.1 overs without considering the time taken for timeouts.
2. No soft signal
The soft-signal by the on-field umpire has created a lot of confusion and debate in the last few weeks. For the IPL 2021, the BCCI has done away with the soft-signal. The onfield umpire can still give a soft-signal if a decision is being referred but the it will have no bearing on the decision taken by the third umpire. "Should both on-field umpires require assistance from the third umpire to make a decision, the bowler's end umpire shall firstly take a decision on-field after consulting with the striker's end umpire, before consulting by two-way radio with the third umpire," the BCCI said.
3. Short run call
In the IPL 2021, the third umpire will have the power to overrule onfield umpire's decision to cut a run from the batting team's total for batsmen not being able to cross the crease line while taking a run. There was a huge controversy in the IPL 2020 held in the UAE during the match between Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings as a wrong call by the square leg umpire to dock a run proved costly for the Punjab side.