'Online voting for run-out' - Twitterati react hilariously to the new rules for BBL 2020-21

Ahead of their soon-to-start tenth season, Big Bash League has sprung quite a big surprise by unveiling three new playing rules for the tournament. In an attempt to make the tournament more entertaining and appealing to the fans, BBL has introduced three new rules for the new season – Power Surge, X-Factor and Bash Boost.

The new rules will see new powerplay regulations in the games, the teams getting the opportunity to sub in a player at a specific stage of the game and can also get a point for being ahead of the opposition at the halfway mark of the chase. BBL has definitely turned heads with the new rules which are unprecedented and are drawing mixed reactions from the cricket fraternity.

The new rules and the reactions:

The traditional six-over powerplay will be no more in place in the tournament. It will be replaced by a mandatory four-over block at the start of the innings. The batting teams will be allowed to use the remaining two overs at any point from the 11th over of the innings onwards. During that period, the fielding side will be allowed only two fielders outside the inner ring.

The upcoming tournament will also see the return of the Super Sub but with a tweak. At the halfway mark of their first innings, the teams will have the chance to substitute one of their starting XI. The ‘X-factor’ player, however, will be able to replace only that player who is yet to bat or has bowled no more than a single over.

In another rule, the teams will now have a chance to earn as much as four points for winning a game. Previously, the teams got two points for a win but will now receive three. And they will have a chance to earn a bonus point during the match. The team which will be ahead on the comparison at the 10-over mark during the second innings of the game will get the point.

But if the team score are level at 10 overs, that point will be split – 0.5 to each time. Only time will tell whether the new rules will spice up Australia’s premier T20 competition or not. But going by the reactions of the cricket fraternity on social media, one can say that it is not too impressed with the tweaking in the game. Some of the fans were confused too with the new rules.

Here are the reactions to the new rules: