The BCCI has introduced fresh IPL 2026 guidelines that sharply restrict where benched players can sit, how they travel and what they can do on match days, after repeated incidents in which players damaged sponsor signage during warm-ups and casual practice. Players and support staff not named in the match-day XI will no longer be allowed to sit in front of LED boards.
The new rules give the sponsorship team a bigger role in managing the field of play, with designated spots now being marked for substitutes carrying towels and water bottles. All players, including those on the bench, must travel to practice sessions only by team bus, though franchises can split into two batches if needed. Match-day practice sessions are banned outright, no team can use the main square or conduct fitness tests on days when a game is scheduled, and open nets are not allowed.
On non-match days, franchises will get two nets in the practice area and one side wicket on the main square for range hitting, but if one team finishes early the other cannot use that pitch even if it is empty. Family members and friends are barred from team vehicles and may attend matches only from the hospitality area, while the dressing room remains off-limits to anyone without accreditation. The holders of the Orange Cap and Purple Cap must wear their caps on match days, or at minimum for the first two overs so broadcast cameras can capture them.
The changes go beyond simple housekeeping. They are part of an effort to control player movement, sponsor visibility, broadcast aesthetics and pitch quality inside an IPL ecosystem that is worth more than ₹125,000 crore. The dress code for post-match presentations has also been tightened: sleeveless jerseys and floppy hats are banned, the first breach brings a warning, and repeat offenders face financial penalties.
For the league, the message is plain. The bench is no longer a loose sideline, and the match-day environment is being treated as a controlled commercial asset as much as a sporting one.
