Maharashtra player Saurabh Nawale became the first serious injury replacement substitute on Sunday when he replaced wicketkeeper-batter Harvik Desai in the West Zone side during the Duleep Trophy semifinal against Central Zone in Bengaluru.

Nawale walked out to bat in the second innings after Harvik Desai reportedly suffered a quadriceps injury.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India had introduced this rule for the 2025/26 domestic season to provide like-for-like replacements for players who suffer serious injuries during a multi-day match.

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Published on Sep 07, 2025