From short run penalty to stop clock, ICC drops rule change bombshells!

New cricket rules just dropped — and you probably didn’t even notice! Let’s walk you through some of the interesting ones. The ICC has quietly done a little spring cleaning on the rulebook and dropped new cricket rules you probably didn't even notice. Let’s walk you through a few of the interesting ones, and trust us, some of these updates are downright wild.

Stop Clock Comes to Tests

Remember how ODIs and T20Is got a stopwatch to speed things up? That’s now being introduced in Test cricket too to keep slow over rates in check. If the fielding team doesn’t start a new over within 60 seconds of the previous one ending — after two warnings — they’ll be slapped with a 5-run penalty. Boom.

Short Run = Big Trouble

A short run is no longer just a silly mistake — it’s now a punishable offence. From now on, not only will a 5-run penalty be applied, but the fielding side will also get to decide which batter stays on strike. Tactical cricket just got a boost.

Saliva Trick? Not Anymore

Ever since the ICC banned the use of saliva on the ball, some teams would sneakily apply it on an old ball just to get it changed. Umpires, with no choice, would allow the change. But now, this trick won’t work — the umpires will only replace the ball if its condition has been drastically altered. No more ball-switching hacks.

Clean Catch? You Better Be Sure

Picture this: A fielder takes a catch, but the on-field umpires are unsure whether it was clean. Meanwhile, the third umpire confirms it was a no-ball.

Under the old rules, only the no-ball run would count, and there was no need to check the legitimacy of the catch. Not anymore. Under the updated playing conditions, the umpires must still verify if the catch was clean, because if it wasn’t, the batting side gets all the runs they ran during the chaos.

That’s double trouble for the bowlers… and double the drama for the fans! Be honest — how many of these rule changes did you already know about? If even one caught you by surprise, don’t worry, you’re not alone!

Also watch: 5 Uncomfortable Truths Team India has to accept after Leeds letdown