Ahead of the IPL 2026, which begins on March 28, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has implemented new rules about the ball change. This is a continuation of the IPL's tradition of experimenting with new regulations and technologies.

As per Cricbuzz, the new rules will see the umpires replace a ball that has experienced similar wear and tear to the one that was previously in use if it cannot be located or recovered during play, which typically occurs after the batter hits the ball into the stands for a six or out of the stadium entirely.

If the umpires believe that the ball has become unfit for play due to regular use, the same rule will be utilized. When making the replacement in such a situation, the umpire must notify both the fielding captain and the batter.

In an interesting rule change that will affect the team bowling second, they will now only be allowed to change the ball once, regardless of whether there is dew at the venue or not.

Additionally, the bowling captain may only ask for a ball change after the 10th over; the request must be made after an over is finished, not during it.

The new ball must have equivalent wear and tear to the one that was in use up until that moment, just like the other rule change. However, at any point throughout the game, the umpires are free to switch the ball.

The regulations and guidelines will be considered at the IPL captains' meeting, which will be held in Mumbai on Wednesday, March 25th, at 4.30 pm IST.

Javagal Srinath and Nitin Menon, chiefs of the BCCI match referees' and umpires’ panels, will address all 10 IPL franchise captains on a variety of topics, including the two-bouncer-per-over rule, bat size inspections, retired-out calls, and saliva use, in addition to the new ball change rules.

(Cricbuzz inputs)