Cricket is getting a rule refresh! The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rolled out a series of updates that will take effect this month, reshaping how One-Day Internationals (ODIs) are played, how concussion substitutes are handled, and how boundary catches, especially the infamous bunny hop trick in cricket, are judged. Here’s a breakdown of the three most important changes and what they mean for players and fans.

New Spin on the Two New Ball Rule in ODI

One of the largest changes made by the ICC is a revision to the two new-ball rule in ODIs. Currently, every innings in a One-Day International begins with two new balls, one from each end, and they’re utilised for the entire 50 overs. But beginning July 2, that will no longer be the case. Both of the new balls will only be used from overs 1 to 34. After the 35th over, the bowling team will choose one of the two balls to continue using from both ends till the end of the innings.

This modification to the two new ball rule in ODIs is intended to achieve a better balance between bat and ball. In recent times, flat pitches and two regularly hard balls have tipped the game significantly in the favour of batters, particularly during death overs. With only one ball for the last 16 overs, there’s greater scope for reverse swing and less pace off the deck, and hopefully, this will give bowlers a more even chance.

If an ODI is reduced to 25 overs a side or less before the start of the first innings, then there will be just one new ball throughout the entire innings, making the two-ball idea a non-starter in short games altogether. This indicates the ICC is being accommodating and equitable in modifying the two new ball concept in ODIs to suit circumstances.

New Concussion Rule in Cricket：Role-Specific Substitutes

Up next is a clarification of the new concussion rule in cricket, to be applied across all formats from June 17. Although concussion replacements have been permissible since 2019, recent events have raised questions regarding selection and the equity of the stand-ins. For example, when India replaced batting allrounder Shivam Dube with bowling allrounder Harshit Rana in a T20I this year, the eyebrows were raised after Rana took three wickets.

In order to prevent such confusion, the new concussion rule in cricket now mandates teams to name five specific standbys before the match commences: one for wicketkeeping, one for batting, one for seam bowling, one for spin bowling, and one for all-rounders. This prevents teams from making too strategic a change under the guise of injury and makes the process more transparent.

If a named stand-by substitute is also concussed, yes, it can occur that the match referee still has the right to sanction a substitution from beyond the five nominations, but only according to the current like-for-like policy. This revision of the new concussion rule in cricket is intended to cut down on loopholes and ensure that the medical spirit of the substitution continues, rather than tactical.

Bunny Hop Trick in Cricket Officially Banned

Lastly, one of the most picture-book yet contentious fielding tricks, the bunny hop gimmick in cricket, has been declared illegal. Recall Michael Neser’s jaw-dropping BBL 2023 catch, where he leapt from within the field, flicked the ball mid-air while crossing the boundary, landed outside, then jumped back in to complete the catch? That sort of airborne multi-touch relay is now banned.

The MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club), custodian of cricket laws, found such catches, though legal under 2010 rules, unfair to most fans. The new regulation, effective from June 17 with the new World Test Championship cycle, closes that loophole. Under the new law, if a fielder touches the ball in the air outside the boundary, they must re-enter and be fully grounded inside the field before touching it again. Any second touch outside or without landing inside first will count as a boundary.

Fielders now get one airborne touch only after jumping from inside the field. Further contact must occur after landing. The MCC believes this will restore fairness and prevent the bunny hop trick in cricket from overriding the basics of the sport.

Final Thoughts

These changes to the rules might appear technical, but they are all about tweaking the fairness and balance of the game. The two new ball rule in ODI matches should give extra power to the bowlers during the slog overs and restore some control in batting-dominated finishes. The new concussion rule in cricket provides greater clarity and command. And prohibiting the bunny hop trick in cricket places a rational limit literally and figuratively on fielding spectacle.

Fans can anticipate the following changes to take place soon: June 17 for Tests and new concussion regulations, July 2 for ODIs, and July 10 for T20Is. Whether you’re a bowler longing for reverse swing under the updated two new ball rule in ODI, a team manager weighing the costs of concussion exchanges, or a fielder looking at the ropes, there is something new to watch this cricket season.