A new set of ICC Playing Conditions came into force on October 1, 2026, applying to every international series that starts on or after that date. Series already underway — including India's ongoing ODI series against West Indies — will finish out under the old regulations, but the changes will be in effect for India's T20I series against West Indies starting October 6, the Ranji Trophy season beginning October 11, and India's tour of New Zealand later in the month.
The headline change targets batters who delay facing the ball. A batter not ready within the prescribed time — broadly, by the point the bowler reaches the top of their run-up — will now receive a warning for a first offence, a final warning for a second, and five penalty runs awarded to the fielding side for a third and any subsequent offence in the same innings. Umpires can also invoke Code of Conduct sanctions for repeated breaches, giving the rule real teeth against a form of time-wasting that has previously gone largely unpunished compared to the restrictions already placed on bowling sides.
In a trial aimed at reducing the overs lost to fading light in the final session of a day Test, the ICC will now allow boards to agree, ahead of the match, to use a pink ball instead of the traditional red one. Two conditions matter here: the decision has to be mutual and made before the Test starts, and it is binding for the entire match — there is no option to switch from red to pink, or vice versa, once play is underway. It is a trial rather than a permanent change, and its use will depend on both boards opting in for a specific fixture.
The pandemic-era ban on applying saliva to the ball remains in place, but the ICC has loosened the automatic consequence of a breach. Previously, umpires were expected to change the ball as soon as saliva was detected on it; now, a change is only required if the ball's condition has visibly and significantly altered — for instance, if it has become unusually wet or picked up extra shine. The call is left to the on-field umpires' judgement rather than triggered automatically, which should reduce the number of mid-over ball changes for marginal cases.
The October 1 cutoff lines up with a genuinely packed Indian season: a five-match T20I series against West Indies, the Irani Cup already underway in Srinagar, the Ranji Trophy season, and a long, multi-format tour of New Zealand all falling under the new conditions rather than the old ones. Domestic umpires and players adjusting to a new time-wasting penalty for the first time in a competitive match — rather than in a trial setting — will be one of the earliest live tests of how strictly the rule gets applied.
Because the time-wasting clock effectively starts running the moment a bowler begins their approach, the rule is likely to be felt first in the shortest format, where teams already play at a premium pace and batters have the least room to reset between deliveries. Whether any board takes up the pink-ball option for a day Test this season remains to be seen — it requires agreement from both sides well in advance, and neither India's nor New Zealand's boards have signalled an intention to use it for the upcoming Test series.
Live scores across India's domestic and international season are available on SportGod's live matches page, with AI-powered match previews on SportGod's predictions page and more rules and tournament explainers on SportGod's blog.
The rule details and effective date in this article are verified against same-day and freshly re-checked ICC reporting, current as of October 1, 2026.
Try Sport God AI live
Live scores, AI predictions, and fantasy — free during IPL 2026.