Ahead of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL), the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has rolled out a detailed, 5-page-long, strict set of guidelines for the teams. The 19th edition of the IPL is set to begin on March 28, 2026, after several delays, but recently, the official schedule has been revealed, and now the rules have been made public, signalling that the tournament is in full preparation mode. Here’s what the rules state.
BCCI Strict Guidelines For All 10 Franchises Ahead Of IPL 2026
The BCCI has instructed all 10 franchises to follow the new guidelines, which mainly focus on maintaining pitch quality before the IPL begins on March 28. More importantly, to ensure that all the team gets equal opportunities during practice sessions.
No Shared Nets
According to the Cricbuzz report, the BCCI has imposed a ban on these 10 teams from sharing the practice surface. They mandate that an IPL team cannot practice on the pitch or net that has already been used by their opponent during the same session.
Additionally, there’s a high focus on sequential sessions, as even if a team finishes their session and there’s another team starting right after them, they cannot use the same nets. Instead, the ground staff will be instructed to provide new nets for the other team to play.
“Fresh nets should be provided to each team for their allocated practice session. In any event of simultaneous practice sessions or when one team practises after the other, the first team shall not be permitted to use the other team’s nets (including for throw downs). If one team finishes practice early, the other team is not permitted to use their range-hitting wicket.”
Also Read: Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 Tickets: When Booking Starts, Price Range, and How to Buy Online?
Interestingly, the second team cannot even borrow the wickets. If a team finishes early (practice ends early), the other team cannot simply take over or use their nets or vacated range-hitting strips.
Practice Venue Restrictions
To ensure that the match-day surfaces remain in good condition, the BCCI has put on a “Main Square Ban.” So, no practice session matches can happen on the main square, which is the centre part of the ground. The ban is for four days leading up to a franchise’s first home game.
“In order to prepare the pitch for the season, no practice sessions or practice matches may be played on the main square in the four days leading up to the relevant franchise’s first home match of the season.”
If a team needs to practice during these ban periods, the State Association has been asked to provide an alternative practice ground without any charges.
Furthermore, the teams are only allocated one specific wicket at the extreme edge of the main square for “range hitting” (six-hitting practice). This is limited to the normal duration of the session, plus the home team will get priority of the wickets for the first 1.5 hours (90 minutes).
No More Unlimited Practice Games
According to the reports, franchises can no longer hold informal unlimited practice games. Each franchise is limited to holding two practice matches until the IPL begins on March 28. There’s also session limits, in which practice sessions, including the matches, can run only up to 3.5 hours long. The teams will also require the BCCI’s approval before running any practice match under the floodlights.
Also Read: Kavya Maran Faces Backlash After Sunrisers Leeds Sign Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed at The Hundred 2026
Double Bookings and Other Disputes
If two IPL teams end up clashing for the practice session timing and fail to agree on a schedule, the BCCI will step in to resolve the issues. If no resolution is reached even after this, the teams will get a mandated two-hour slot each.
‘In the event that the two teams cannot resolve the double booking, the BCCI will determine the practice times, having considered the requests of both teams, with the likely outcome that two 2-hour slots are created, thereby giving both teams similar playing needs with exclusive use of the ground (e.g. 18.00 – 20.00 & 20.00 – 22.00).’ This will ensure that both teams will get the ground under similar lighting and playing conditions.
BCCI’s General Guidelines for IPL 2026
Along with the rules for the teams, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has also set some general guidelines, including making the home franchise responsible for coordinating the logistics and other arrangements for practice sessions for both teams. This will include cricket facilities, catering, medical services, security, and more.
However, once the team reaches the playoff stage, the BCCI will gain direct control of all these, for example, their practice arrangements and facilities.