There has been debate over allowing replacements for players suffering from major injuries after Rishabh Pant batted with a broken leg against England. The BCCI has amended Ranji Trophy rules, requiring injured players to obtain mandatory fitness clearance from the Center of Excellence before returning.
Rishabh Pant is currently recovering from a leg injury which he suffered while batting in the fourth Test of India’s tour of England earlier this year. The wicketkeeper-batsman is expected to return to competitive cricket during the 2025–26 Ranji Trophy and may be available from the second round of the tournament.
Rishabh Pant last played for India in Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025
Rishabh Pant showed determination during the five-match Test series in England, which ended in a 2-2 draw. The wicketkeeper-batsman suffered a fracture in his left leg during the first innings of the fourth Test in Manchester.
After retiring hurt on 37 and leaving the field due to pain, Rishabh Pant returned to resume his innings the next day. Pant scored 54 runs in 75 balls with the help of three fours and two sixes, helping India score 358 runs in their first innings.
However, injury prevented him from taking part in the final Test at the Oval, with Tamil Nadu cricketer N. Jagadeesan was nominated.
Rishabh Pant is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI Center of Excellence in Bengaluru to make a complete recovery. In his absence, Dhruv Jurel took over the wicketkeeping duties during the recent two-match Test series against West Indies at home.
BCCI introduces “serious injury substitution” rule as part of ICC pilot project
The BCCI has introduced a new “serious injury substitution” rule as part of an ICC pilot project. According to the document shared with state associations, any player who has been substituted due to a serious injury will have to take a mandatory seven-day break before returning to action.
“If a player is replaced due to a serious injury during a match, the player concerned will have to stand down for a period of at least seven days from the time the serious injury allows the replacement,” the BCCI notification sent to state associations read.
“After completion of the minimum stand down days the player concerned will have to report to the BCCI – CoE for further assessment of his fitness. The expert panel of the BCCI CoE will assess his fitness and based on the expert report the player will be cleared to participate in future BCCI matches.”
Mandatory stand-down period rule in updated playing conditions for injured players
As per the updated playing conditions, if a player gets injured on the opening day of the match and undergoes a medical scan the same evening, with a replacement cleared the next day, the next day will be counted as the first day of the mandatory stand-down period.
While many former players have supported the rule to ensure fair play, others have expressed concerns about potential abuse. The ICC will review its implementation in domestic tournaments at the upcoming Chief Executives Meeting in November.
Notably, the BCCI has clarified that disciplinary sanctions, such as demerit points or suspension, will carry over to a player’s participation in his team’s next match, regardless of the format.
A player penalized in a Ranji Trophy game must serve the punishment, even if the team’s next match is in a different format.
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