Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has proposed five rule changes ahead of the IPL 2026 season. Among his suggestions, he emphasized that teams should be awarded a bonus point for emphatic victories, arguing that this would make the latter stages of the tournament more exciting for fans.
Currently, the IPL points table ranks teams primarily by total points, with wins and net run rate serving as tiebreakers for sides finishing on equal points. Chopra believes that introducing a bonus point system for commanding wins would add a new strategic element to the tournament and further intensify competition during the business end of the IPL.
“Bring a bonus point. There is a lot of focus on net run-rate currently. I feel it does not bring that much thrill on a day-to-day basis. The simple funda is to give a bonus point if you play 20 percent better than the opposing team. If you score 200 runs, stop the opposition for less than 160. If you are chasing 200, do it in 16 overs, which means you played 20 percent fewer overs,” Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.
“Teams will come on odd points and it will become a little more thrilling. One might not feel it that much at the start, but when we reach the business end of the tournament, suddenly it will bring more thrill. Wherever you are in a season, you are never really out of it. A string of wins with bonus points will cover up for a few losses,” he added.
Chopra also suggested that teams should be allowed to field a substitute player for serious injuries, similar to the concussion substitute rule currently in place. Additionally, Chopra recommended adjustments to help teams make better use of the IPL’s mid-season transfer window, allowing franchises greater flexibility in strengthening their squads as the tournament progresses.
“You get a like-for-like concussion substitute. Why not do it for a serious injury as well? The BCCI is already doing that in first-class cricket. We are the flagbearers. We restarted the saliva use. Similarly, as a replacement for a serious injury, let’s do that in the IPL because we are the path setters,” Chopra said.
“It exists, but it is never exercised. That is mid-season transfer. If you haven’t put a player’s name in your 16-player list, including the sub options, in the first eight matches, make him automatically available. Every team should mandatorily nominate three such players. Can you bring the unused resources to the table to uplift the tournament’s standard?” he added.
The cricketer-turned-commentator also proposed that leg-side wides in the IPL should be strictly marked and penalized, ensuring fair play and more accurate scoring. He further recommended considering the introduction of the Power Surge rule from the Big Bash League (BBL), which would allow teams to strategically accelerate their innings.
“My fourth suggestion is about the leg-side wide. If you have watched attentively, there is a line far away from the stumps and another close to them. Can that line be kept as the wide mark? The ball should be wide on the leg side only if it goes outside that. As soon as the ball goes minutely outside the leg stump, it’s called a wide now. Sometimes you feel it’s unfair because it’s not unplayable,” Chopra concluded.
The 2026 edition of the cash-rich tournament is still months away and there will be a mini auction ahead of the nineteenth season. It will be interested to see if the BCCI and the organizers approve any changes in rules in the meantime.
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