Feel the need, the need for speed! Why IPL 2021 will be quickest T20 tournament ever!

IPL 2021: In the world of cricket, what is faster than the test matches? The answer is T20s, simple, isn’t it! And what is quicker than other T20 tournaments? The answer is the IPL 2021! Yes, this year, the 14^th edition of the Indian Premier League will be much faster than the usual T20 matches. The reason for this is some key changes in the rules for the IPL 2021. So, what are these rules and how will they change the speed of the game? Check out this explainer before the IPL 2021 opener, which is scheduled for April 9.

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1: New Time Limit: In this IPL, every team will be granted 90 minutes to complete the 20 overs in a match. This means that each inning during any IPL match will be concluded within 90 minutes. This 90 minutes per inning rule will also include two strategic timeouts of 5 minutes each for a team. The break between two innings shall not go past 20 minutes, the new IPL guidelines say.

2: Minimum over rule: Each side will have to bowl 14.11 over per hour during a match. A steep fine has been introduced for the slow over rate. In case, a team is found guilty of slow over rate, the captain of the erring side will be fined Rs 12 lakh for the first offence. For the second such instance, the skipper will be fined Rs 24 lakh. For third and fourth fault, the captain will be penalised Rs 30 lakh, If this continues, the captain would be banned from playing the next league match.

3: This IPL, there won’t be any soft signal: Remember the ‘SKY’ controversy at the Narendra Modi stadium during India vs England match? Surya Kumar Yadav was declared ‘caught’ as the Third Umpire upheld the on-field soft signal. Several cricketers including Test legend VVS Laxman had also voiced their anger and said that this ‘soft signal’ rule must be revisited. This IPL, there won’t be any soft signal by the on-field umpires. It will be up to the Third Umpire to decide on the doubtful caught, bump balls and field obstructions by the batsman during a match.

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4: Super Overs Restricted: During the IPL 2021, the organisers have decided to restrict the Super Overs. In the case of the Super Over scenario, the teams would get an hour to finish the match. However, to avoid any extra minute of stretching the match, the new IPL rules state that in case the fate of a match can’t be determined even after an hour of Super Overs, both teams would share the match points.