In a historic move, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has introduced a new clause that allows Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises to temporarily recruit players in extreme situations. This revolutionary change, set to be implemented from IPL 2025, aims to provide more flexibility to all ten franchises and address critical player unavailability issues.

The key highlight of this amendment is the creation of a Registered Available Player Pool (RAPP), from which franchises can sign temporary replacements. 

While the standard rule remains that players cannot be replaced for short-term absences, BCCI has made a special exception for wicketkeepers, which is expected to significantly impact the tournament's dynamics.

Key Highlights of IPL 2025 Replacement Rules,

1. Short-Term Replacement for Wicketkeepers

If all wicketkeepers in a franchise’s squad are unavailable, the team can seek special permission from BCCI.

Upon approval, the franchise can sign a temporary replacement from the RAPP list.

The replacement will have to leave the squad once the original wicketkeeper returns.

If the unavailable wicketkeeper is an overseas player, the replacement must be an Indian player if the franchise has already filled its quota of eight overseas players.

2. Replacement for Season-Ending Injuries

A player suffering from a season-ending injury or illness can be replaced if:

The injury occurs before or during the team’s 12th league match.

The injury is confirmed as season-ending by a BCCI-nominated doctor.

The player would have been available for all remaining matches if not for the injury.

The replaced player cannot return for the rest of the season.

3. Other Replacement Scenarios

A replacement player can be signed in situations like:

International FTP commitments.

No Objection Certificate (NOC) denial from the player’s national or state board.

Injury or illness, verified by both the home board’s medical expert and a BCCI-nominated doctor.

Retirement from all forms of professional cricket.

Any other reason approved by BCCI.

In these cases, the replacement must be selected from the RAPP list, and the original player cannot return during the season.

4. Financial and Contractual Terms

Each unavailable player can be replaced by only one player.

The replacement player’s salary cannot exceed that of the unavailable player.

The fee will be adjusted based on the number of matches remaining.

The replacement player’s salary won’t count towards the team’s salary cap for that season.

5. Registration and Compliance

A replacement player must be part of the Registered Available Player Pool (RAPP), which consists of unsold players from the IPL auction.

If a franchise has hired a RAPP-listed player as a net bowler, they must release him if another team signs him as a replacement.

Franchises must seek BCCI approval before finalizing any replacement.

No replacements are allowed before the IPL auction for the respective season.

The introduction of the RAPP list and temporary replacement option for wicketkeepers is expected to bring more flexibility and fairness to the tournament. For instance, teams like Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), which currently rely on only two specialist wicketkeepers — Jitesh Sharma and Phil Salt, can now breathe easier. If both players are injured during the tournament, RCB can bring in a replacement from the RAPP list without violating the existing squad rules.

Additionally, this rule aims to prevent teams from being handicapped due to unexpected injuries or international commitments, thereby ensuring competitive balance throughout the tournament.