The 19th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) begins from March 28, 2026 (Saturday) with a match between the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. However, before the tournament officially kicks off, players and support staff have been issued some big diktats by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). These fresh set of directives are mainly for training routines and match-day conduct, which are strictly to be followed.
According to the BCCI directive, as per a report by Cricbuzz, the players have been asked to travel on the team bus only onIPL 2026match days and not on any other private vehicles. Their family members will not be allowed to travel in the team bus and have to make their own arrangements to travel to the stadium.
This comes after a diktat last year that mandated players' interaction with their families on international tours should be limited to 45 days.
While most team members travel on the team bus, there have been incidents where players travel on their personal vehicles to the ground, especially in their hometowns.
On practice days, both during and before the start of IPL 2026, the BCCI have only allowed accredited players and support staff to be in the field of play. Family members are not allowed and can only watch them from the hospitality area. In fact, the family members have to travel in a different vehicle, and can watch the practice sessions from designated hospitality areas.
The BCCI have also specifically not allowed practice on match days to make sure the pitch stays in perfect shape for the game. In fact tjhey have made some strict rules regarding practice sessions.
When teams get ready for a game, they will have specific spots set aside just for practice. Normally, each team will get two nets in the practice area and one side wicket on the main square. The only time this changes is at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. If both teams happen to practice there at the exact same time, they will each get two wickets to use instead.
There are also a few clear rules about how and when these practice areas can be used. For instance, if one team finishes their training early, the other team will not be allowed to take over their empty wickets for extra practice.
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Shaunak Ghosh is a Senior Sports Correspondent at Timesnownews with over seven years of experience in print and digital journalism. He holds a postgra...View More
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