For the first time, DRS will be used in the men’s T20 World Cup 2021

The International Cricket Council has also increased the minimum number of overs in world cup matches when they get delayed or rained out

ICC has announced that it will provide the Decision Review System (DRS) at the T20 World Cup starting later this month, marking the first time in a men’s T20I tournament the system will be in use.

A maximum of two reviews will be given per innings in the forthcoming T20 World Cup that starts October 17 and will be played in the UAE and Oman. During the Covid-19 season, there may be less experienced umpires on duty at times, something that the governing body announced in June last year would be taken into account. This would apply to each team in every innings of each match across all formats. It is now possible for each team to make two unsuccessful appeals per innings for white-ball formats and three for Test matches.

Additionally, the ICC has increased the minimum overs for delayed or rain-interrupted matches. Each team will need to bat for a minimum of five overs during the group stages of the T20 World Cup for the result to be decided by DLS. T20I matches are conducted this way currently. But in the semi-finals and final, each team will be required to bat for at least 10 overs to finish, as was the norm during last year’s T20 World Cup, where a soaked first semi-final between England and India resulted in England losing.

It was not possible to use the DRS in the past for showcase events such as the men’s T20 World Cup because it was not used in T20Is during its last edition in 2016. DRS was introduced to the ICC T20I tournaments for the first time during the 2018 women’s T20 World Cup, when teams had access to one review. A similar format was used at the last multi-team tournament held by the ICC prior to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

Under the ICC’s playing conditions, both the men’s and women’s governing bodies can decide whether to use the DRS during bilateral series.