In a move to professionalise pre-match preparation and eliminate any unfair home advantage, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has issued a stringent five-page operational directive for all the ten IPL franchises.
The new guidelines, first reported by Cricbuzz and PTI, fundamentally change how teams like Mumbai Indians, CSK and RCB will prepare for the 2026 season. From a total ban on shared nets to a mandatory blackout of the main square, here is the official breakdown of the new protocols.
The ‘fresh net’ rule: No more shared pitches
For years, it was common for a visiting team to jump into the same nets just vacated by the home side. Not anymore.
The BCCI has mandated that fresh nets must be prepared for every single practice session. If Team A finishes their session early, Team B is strictly forbidden from using Team A’s nets, including for throw-downs or range-hitting. This ensures that every team gets a pristine surface and prevents rivals from reading the wear and tear on a specific pitch before the game.
“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,” the five-page guidelines states.
The 4-Day main square ‘blackout’
To ensure that the tournament pitches remain in tournament ready condition, the BCCI has locked the central square.
No franchise is allowed to conduct practice matches or training sessions on the main square during the four days leading up to their first home match.
If a home team (like KKR at Eden Gardens) needs to practice during this window, the State Association must provide an alternative venue at zero cost.
3.5-hour cap on practice matches
Franchises often play gruelling intra-squad games that last well into the night. The BCCI has now put a stopwatch on these sessions.
Any practice match played under floodlights cannot exceed 3.5 hours.
Teams are permitted only two official practice matches pre-season, and these must be played on side-wickets, never on the main tournament pitch.
Away team priority in scheduling
In a significant win for travelling squads, the BCCI will now side with the visitors in case of a scheduling tug-of-war.
If both teams want the 06:00 PM-08:00 pm slot, the BCCI will favour the away team, especially if they have just completed a match or have a tight travel itinerary.
If team managers cannot settle a booking conflict, the BCCI will step in to enforce two exclusive 2-hour windows to ensure “exclusive use of the ground.”