The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match between Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Delhi Capitals (DC) witnessed a controversial interruption due to a misunderstanding regarding the tournament’s rules on foreign player substitutions.
The incident occurred when RR decided to field Rovman Powell as a substitute fielder after starting the match with three overseas players: Jos Buttler, Shimron Hetmyer, and Trent Boult. They had earlier brought in Nandre Burger as their impact player in place of Hetmyer.
However, the DC camp raised concerns, pointing out that RR would be fielding five overseas players if Powell entered the field. This prompted a discussion between DC head coach Ricky Ponting, director of cricket Sourav Ganguly, and the fourth umpire.
According to IPL rules, a team cannot have more than four overseas players on the field at any time. If a team fields four overseas players in its starting XI, an overseas player can only substitute another overseas player. If a team fields less than four overseas players in its starting XI, overseas players can enter the field as substitutes only if the total number of overseas players on the field does not exceed four.
In this case, RR had already fielded three overseas players in their starting XI. By bringing in Powell as a substitute fielder, they would have exceeded the permissible limit of four overseas players on the field.
The confusion stemmed from the fact that RR had initially named only three overseas players in their starting XI. However, they later decided to bring in Burger as an impact player, which effectively increased the number of overseas players in their starting XI to four.
The issue was eventually resolved, and RR was allowed to field Powell as a substitute fielder. However, the incident highlighted the importance of clear understanding and adherence to tournament rules.
Despite the controversy, RR went on to defeat DC by 12 runs. Riyan Parag smashed an unbeaten 84 off 45 balls, while Nandre Burger and Yuzvendra Chahal picked up two wickets each.
