ICC to introduce new PowerPlay calculation in shortened T20Is: Report

In a significant update to the Playing Conditions of T20Is, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is set to announce a new method for determining the length of PowerPlay overs when an innings is shortened. The change will now see PowerPlay calculated based on the nearest ball rather than the nearest over.

Under the previous rules, PowerPlay lengths were rounded to the nearest full over. For instance, if an innings was reduced to eight overs, the PowerPlay would still last two full overs. However, this method often created discrepancies in proportion, especially in shortened matches. The PowerPlay, by design, is meant to represent approximately 30% of the innings, and the ICC’s latest revision brings the calculation closer to that benchmark.

This method has already been in use in England’s T20 Blast. Encouraged by its smooth implementation at the domestic level, the ICC Men's Cricket Committee has reportedly approved it as the global standard moving forward.

“This table has been used in



the T20 Blast in England for many years, where ending a powerplay midway through an over has caused no difficulty for players or officials. It has now been accepted by the ICC Men's Cricket Committee as the preferred method moving forward. In the 8-over example above, the umpire will make the signal after 2 balls of the 3rd over, at which point three further fielders are able to drop back from within the circle,” the ICC told the members.

The ICC also clarified how this change would be communicated during a match. For instance, in an eight-over innings, umpires will signal the end of the PowerPlay after the second ball of the third over, allowing three additional fielders to move outside the inner circle from that point onward.

This update applies equally to both innings in a T20I match and is expected to be used in all future fixtures where overs are reduced due to weather or other interruptions. The change reflects the ICC’s ongoing effort to bring greater precision and fairness to the shortest format of the game.