The Duleep Trophy semi-final between West Zone and Central Zone saw the BCCI’s new “serious injury replacement” rule being used for the first time. Following Rishabh Pant’s fractured toe during the IND vs ENG Test series, the board decided to introduce the new rule in domestic cricket where teams could replace players if they sustained a serious injury on-field. West Zone have been eliminated from the tournament as Central Zone qualified for the final by the virtue of taking the 1st innings lead.
Maharashtra batter becomes first ‘serious injury replacement’
West Zone opener Harvik Desai was ruled out of the match before the team’s second innings due to a quadriceps injury. As a result, the BCCI’s new ‘serious injury replacement’ rule was invoked which saw the injured keeper-batter being replaced by Maharashtra’s Saurabh Nawale. Desai had scored 1 run in the 1st innings following which he had kept wickets. Meanwhile, Nawale managed to score just 9 runs before he was sent packing by Saransh Jain.
What is the serious injury replacement rule?
The BCCI’s new rule allows teams to name a like-for-like replacement before the toss. The rule will be applied in the CK Nayudu Trophy for now, much like the impact player was introduced via the under-19 tournament. The board has made it clear that the match referee will be the final authority to decide whether an injury replacement will be allowed after consulting a doctor regarding the seriousness of the injury.
“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 serious injury must have been sustained during play and within the playing area described in clause,” BCCI said.
