In an effort to improve the balance of bat and ball in One Day Internationals (ODIs), the International Cricket Council (ICC) has changed the two-ball rule. From July 2025, teams will play ODIs with two new balls, one from the bowler’s end and one from the striker’s end. Following the 34th over, two balls will be needed and the fielding team will pick just one of them to use from each end for the rest of the innings.
The main idea is to help reverse swing play a role again in the late stages of an innings, since this opportunity disappeared after two-new-ball rule came into effect in 2011. Because each ball was only allowed to be bowled for 25 overs, it did not age enough to assist reverse swing which resulted in the batsmen having an advantage in the death overs.
Based on the Cricket Committee’s advice (led by Sourav Ganguly), the ICC approved this change to address the concerns raised by cricketing greats. Sachin Tendulkar made it known that the two-ball rule prevented bowlers from mastering reverse swing which is important in crucial overs.
If the number of overs per side is 25 or less before the first innings begins, the regulation says a single new ball needs to be used for every innings played. Balls that are brought onto the field in an innings need to be comparable in condition to the ball being changed.
This rule has been introduced as part of a package of changes to ICC playing conditions such as those affecting concussion substitute systems. The new rules will apply from the beginning of the Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh One Day International series which is set for July 2, 2025.
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