NEW DELHI: Maharashtra wicketkeeper-batter Saurabh Nawale etched his name into the history books, becoming the first cricketer to be used as a ‘serious injury replacement’ in Indian domestic cricket.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The landmark moment unfolded during the Duleep Trophy semi-final between West Zone and Central Zone when Nawale was drafted in to replace Harvik Desai, who suffered a quadricep injury. With the consent of Central Zone skipper Rajat Patidar, West Zone invoked the new regulation recently introduced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the 2025–26 domestic season.The rule permits teams to field a like-for-like replacement if a player sustains a serious injury during the course of a match. While Nawale’s historic appearance did not translate into major runs — he scored just nine after adding a 32-run stand with Yashasvi Jaiswal —the moment signaled a new era in Indian cricket’s approach to player safety and fairness.
What is BCCI’s Serious Injury Replacement Rule?
The introduction of the rule came after growing calls during India’s tour of England earlier this year, when players such as Rishabh Pant and Chris Woakes were forced to continue despite carrying visible injuries.According to the BCCI’s guidelines:
- The injury must be sustained during play within the designated playing area.
- It should be the result of an external blow, leading to a fracture, deep cut, or dislocation.
- The injury must render the player unavailable for the remainder of the match.
- The replacement must be a like-for-like cricketer.
By becoming the first beneficiary of the regulation, Nawale’s inclusion may well set a precedent for how teams manage injuries in high-stakes matches. While his batting contribution was modest, the bigger takeaway was that player welfare has been placed at the forefront of domestic cricket.
