The International Cricket Council (ICC) has approved a significant change to the powerplay regulations in men’s T20 Internationals, along with a host of other amendments to the playing conditions. These changes, which include a tweak in how powerplay overs are calculated during rain-affected games, will come into effect from 2 July 2025.
Under the current rules, the powerplay in a 20-over innings lasts for the first six overs. However, when innings are shortened due to weather or other interruptions, powerplays were previously rounded to the nearest full over. This method, according to the ICC, could cause disproportionate effects on the match.
The new regulation, set to be implemented in white-ball cricket from July, will instead round the powerplay duration to the *nearest ball*. For instance, an eight-over innings will now feature a 2.2-over powerplay (two overs and two balls), while a nine-over innings will have a 2.4-over powerplay, keeping the proportion of fielding restrictions closer to the standard 30%.
“This table has been used in the T20 Blast in England for many years, where ending a powerplay midway through an over has caused no difficulty for players or officials,” the ICC informed its members, according to ESPNcricinfo. The ICC further stated that the new approach has been adopted by the Men’s Cricket Committee as the preferred method moving forward.
In the example of an eight-over innings, the umpire will signal the end of the powerplay after two balls of the third over, allowing three additional fielders to drop outside the 30-yard circle.
In addition to the powerplay revision, the ICC has introduced several other updates:
Stop Clock in Tests: A stop clock mechanism will be trialled in Test cricket to manage over-rates more effectively.
Fairness of Catches and No-Balls: Technology will now be used to review catches for potential no-balls.
Substitutes in First-Class Cricket: Domestic first-class teams will be allowed to field full-time playing replacements under certain conditions.
While some of these rules, particularly those relating to Test cricket, have already been applied during the current World Test Championship cycle (2025–2027), the changes specific to white-ball formats will be enforced starting July.
These updates reflect the ICC’s continued efforts to modernise the game and ensure greater consistency and fairness, particularly in shortened matches.