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The Board of Control for Cricket in India has issued a fresh set of guidelines for IPL teams, outlining strict dos and don’ts for match days and practice sessions ahead of the new season.

According to the new directives, players must travel to practice sessions only via the team bus. Family members are not allowed to accompany them and must use separate vehicles. They can, however, watch training sessions from designated hospitality areas.

One of the key rules introduced is a dress code for post-match presentations. Players have been instructed not to wear sleeveless jerseys or floppies (slippers) during these interactions. Any violation will result in a warning for the first offence and a financial penalty for repeated breaches.

Practice session guidelines:

• Each team will be allotted two practice nets along with one side wicket on the main square for range hitting.
• At Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, if both teams train simultaneously, they will get two wickets each.
• If one team finishes practice early, the other team cannot use the vacated wicket.
• Open nets are not permitted.
• No practice sessions will be allowed on match days.
• Fitness tests on the main square are also prohibited on match days.
• Any change in jersey number must be communicated at least 24 hours in advance.

The Indian Premier League recently announced the schedule for its first 20 matches, set to be played between March 28 and April 12. The complete schedule will be released soon after finalising dates for upcoming assembly elections in various states.

The season is set to kick off later this week, with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.