The Impact Player rule stays, giving teams the option of fielding an extra player midway through the match to suit their needs. The governing council has also sought to undercut ‘un-dew’ advantage by introducing the second new ball should the umpires detect excessive dew. This should help the side fielding second in night games
It’s that time of the year when the nation stays glued to the television in the evenings, soaking in the sixes that soar around stadia spread far and wide in the country. The IPL is here and has packed in a few elements to make the summer celebration even more eventful.
The decibel levels at pristine Eden Gardens will be deafening as defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders, beginning their quest for a fourth title, take on the luckless, star-studded Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the opener on Saturday. The game will be followed by a series of matches as 10 teams criss-cross the country crossing swords to make the final four on the points table who will contest the Playoffs in two months’ time.
With the venues and fans parks decked up and spectators dressed in their colourful best for the fiesta, the IPL surely commands an altogether different level of excitement that matches the blitzkrieg on the field.
Given an ocean of opinion, the rules have undergone a sea change. Now, the captains will not be docked games for slow over rates. Instead, they would be handed demerit points — earlier they faced a one-match suspension and a fine of Rs 30 lakh for a third offence of slow over rate. That sort of encourages skippers to slow down the game as part of strategy when the opposition is running away with the match.
Also lifted is the saliva ban — players can now apply spit on the ball to achieve a favourable, partial shine that will allow bowlers to reverse swing the ball much to the discomfort of batsmen, in favour of whom the game is arguably loaded.
However, the Impact Player rule stays, giving teams the option of fielding an extra player midway through the match to suit their needs. The governing council has also sought to undercut ‘un-dew’ advantage by introducing the second new ball should the umpires detect excessive dew. This should help the side fielding second in night games.
All said, the temperatures might be soaring this time of the year, but cricket-crazy Indians will surely beat the heat as they prepare to lap up the midsummer madness starting today.
