The ICC has announced a major revision to its concussion substitute rules, following widespread criticism over a controversial incident during the India-England T20I series earlier this year. According to multiple reports, the new guidelines—aimed at preserving competitive balance and ensuring like-for-like integrity—will come into effect during Sri Lanka’s upcoming series against Bangladesh.
The debate was ignited during the fourth T20I of the series, when India replaced Shivam Dube—classified as a batting all-rounder who bowls infrequently—with Harshit Rana, a specialist fast bowler. Rana went on to claim three wickets in conditions favoring pace, sparking questions about whether the substitution was used strategically rather than for injury cover.
Under the existing rules, teams could replace a concussed player with someone deemed “like-for-like,” with final approval resting with the match referee. However, the ambiguity in defining player roles—especially for all-rounders—has led to inconsistent interpretations and accusations of gamesmanship.
To address this, the ICC has now mandated that teams submit a pre-match list of five designated concussion substitutes. This list must include one player each in the roles of batter, wicketkeeper, seam bowler, spinner, and all-rounder. In exceptional cases where a named substitute also sustains a concussion, the match referee retains the discretion to approve a replacement outside of the original list, provided the like-for-like standard is met.
New concussion sub rule kicks in from June 17
These updated protocols will first apply in the Test format during the Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh match in Galle starting June 17. For limited-overs formats, the changes will be implemented during Sri Lanka’s ODI and T20I series against Bangladesh, beginning on July 2 and July 10 respectively.
The ICC emphasized that these adjustments are intended to “bring more structure and transparency to the process, ensuring that substitutions don’t unintentionally tilt the balance of the game.”
Notably, the revised rule will not apply during the World Test Championship Final between Australia and South Africa at Lord’s, which begins on June 11.
