IPL 2023 will be keenly watched, not only for the quality of cricket on offer but also because of interesting new rule changes.
To make the popular tournament more interesting for fans, the BCCI has introduced a few new rules this year:
Impact Player
The biggest rule change in IPL 2023 is the Impact Player.
Under the Impact Player rule, a batter or bowler can be replaced in the middle of the game as per the match situation.
The importance of this new ruling can be gauged by the fact that all the 10 teams's support staff have already started working overtime to understand and make most of this new rule.
The teams will be allowed to name their playing XI along with five substitutes after the toss.
Of the five substitutes named in the team sheet, only one player can be used as an Impact Player.
That player has to be an Indian in case the playing XI has four overseas players.
If a team has three overseas players in the playing XI, then they can bring in an overseas player as the Impact Player.
The teams also have the option of not using the Impact Player and continue with their playing XI.
Once a particular player is substituted, he can no longer take part in the match.
The captain has to inform the on-field umpire at the fall of a wicket, or any of the batters in the middle can retire at any time during the over or innings break and be replaced by the Impact Player.
Importantly, the Impact Player has to be brought on before the 14th over of the innings.
The Impact Player can bat and or bowl his full quota of four overs even if the player he has replaced has already bowled his four overs.
For example, if someone like Ajinkya Rahane falls early, the Chennai Super Kings can replace him with all-rounder Shivam Dube, who could be used to attack the bowlers at the end and then chip in with a couple of overs of medium pace with the ball.
Similarly, if the Gujarat Titans get Mohammed Shami to bowl his quota of four overs by the 13th over he could be replaced by spin all-rounder Rahul Tewatia, who could make a decisive impact with the bat in a run-chase, or a specialist batter like Sai Sudharshan or Abhinav Manohar.
Playing XIs to be named after the toss
In another interesting move, captains will now be allowed to name their playing eleven, plus five substitute fielders, after the toss instead of the normal practice of handing over team sheets before the spin of the coin.
As per the IPL 2023 playing conditions clause 1.2.1: 'Each captain shall nominate 11 players plus a maximum of 5 substitute fielders in writing to the IPL Match Referee after the toss.'
This new ruling could see captains walk out with two team sheets to keep options ready in case they bat or bowl first.
This new ruling renders the toss ineffective, since the captain has the flexibility to change his team depending on whether they are batting or fielding first.
In another twist, the teams will be allowed to make further changes to their playing XI after they hand over the team sheet to the referee, but only if the opposition captain permits it.
'Other than set out in Clause 1.2.9 no player (member of the playing eleven) may be changed after the nomination and prior to the start of play without the consent of the opposing captain.'
It is unlikely that, barring any serious injury, the captain will allow the opposition to make changes after the teams are announced.
Review on-field wide and no-ball decisions
This new ruling could be one of the most controversial rule changes in cricket.
Players reviewing wide or no-balls, which was implemented during the WPL, will now be introduced in IPL 2023 -- the first time it will be used in a men's T20 league.
Along with reviewing the umpire's decision for out or not out, the players can now use DRS to review the wides or no-balls given by the on-field umpires.
There have been many instances of the fielding captain being unhappy with the umpire's call of a wide or no-ball.
Remember when CSK Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni stormed onto the pitch to confront Umpire Ulhas Gandhe after the high full toss from Rajasthan Royals's Ben Stokes to Mitchell Santer was not ruled a no-ball for height during IPL 2019?
Things will take an interesting turn when marginal calls are reviewed. It will be interesting to see who gets the benefit of doubt in such a scenario.
'So with wides for example, and here we're going to, potentially according to you, or according to the player or the debate, take a wide call and throw that back to the third umpire for them to judge on something that might be marginal and is still a judgement call,' former ICC Elite Panel umpire Simon Taufel told ESPNCricinfo.
Penalty for unfair movement by wicket-keeper
The wicket-keeper will no longer be allowed to shift his position before the batter hits the ball.
We have seen quite often that wicket-keepers move to their left anticipating the lap sweep from a right-hander or to their right if the batter attempts the reverse sweep way before the shot is played, which has been deemed as 'unfair movement' by the new playing conditions for IPL 2023.
The team will be penalised for the unfair movement by the wicket-keeper. The non-striker's end umpire has the option to either signal it a dead ball or penalise the bowling team with a one-run penalty by ruling it a wide or a no-ball or award five penalty runs to the batting side.
Penalty for slow over rates
Teams have to complete their quota of 20 overs within their stipulated time limit of 90 minutes.
In case of a slow over rate, the bowling team will be allowed to have only four fielders outside the 30-yard circle for every over not completed within the allocated time.
This ruling becomes critical as the batting team can then make most of the final few overs since the bowlers will be at a disadvantage with just four fielders patrolling the boundary.
