RR vs DC: Ricky Ponting gets furious over extra foreign player fielded by Rajasthan Royal, Rules explained

Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals clashed in Match 9 of the Indian Premier League 2024 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Thursday. While DC started well after opting to bowl first, it was Riyan Parag who stole the limelight thereafter. But there was one more aspect that drew attention and left the DC Head Coach Ricky Ponting fuming from the dugout.

IPL has a set rule that only four overseas players can be featured in the playing XI and on the field. The rule stayed the same even after the impact substitute rule became the norm in the IPL. However, in Match 9, the former Australia captain was furious over RR using an extra overseas player in the field. RR had fielded a total of five players as DC were chasing the target.

Ponting was furious when Rovman Powell took the field which made the RR’s foreign players count to five and it violated the IPL’s rules and regulations according to him. The other players who took part for the Royals were Jos Buttler, Trent Boult, Nandre Burger, Shimran Hetmeyer, who was substituted, and Powell who turned out to be the fifth foreigner. 

Here’s what the Overseas Player Rule says

RULE 1.2.5: Each team may not name more than 4 Overseas players (as defined in the IPL Player Regulations) in its starting eleven for any match.

RULE 1.2.6: "A team may not have more than 4 Overseas players on the field of play at any time during any match. Thus, if the team names a maximum of 4 Overseas players in its starting XI, an Overseas player may only take the field as a substitute fielder if the player that he is replacing is an Overseas player. If the team names less than 4 Overseas players in its starting XI, Overseas players may only enter the field of play as substitute fielders to the extent that by doing so, they do not take the total number of overseas players representing that team on the field to more than 4."

RR named three players in the starting line-up; Jos Buttler, Shimron Hetmyer and Trent Boult. Nandre Burger came in as the Impact sub in the second inning and Rovman Powell came in as a substitute fielder. Since Heymeyer was not fielding during the second inning as he was substituted, the total number of overseas players from RR on the pitch remained only four.