DRS reviews to be operational during T20 World Cup for the first time in history

The International Cricket Council will be handing a lifeline to the teams taking part in the upcoming ICC men's T20I tournament by bringing in the Decision Review System (DRS) for the tournament. As per the playing conditions released by the ICC this week for the upcoming T20 World Cup, each team will get a maximum of two reviews per innings.

T20 World Cup: ICC Change DRS system rules

According to ESPNCricinfo report, the governing body had confirmed in June last year an additional unsuccessful DRS review for each team in each innings of a match across all formats, "keeping in mind that there may be less experienced umpires on duty at times" owing to Covid-19-related reasons. The number of unsuccessful appeals per innings for each team has since increased to two for the white-ball formats and three for Tests". The DRS system has been used since 2017 in major ICC events such as the men's Champions Trophy, the 50-over World Cup, and the World Test Championship as well as the women's ODI and T20 World Cups.

The first ICC T20I tournament to have the DRS was the 2018 women's T20 World Cup in the Caribbean where teams had one review available. The same was used again at the 2020 edition of women's T20 World Cup in Australia, the last multi-team event organised by the ICC before the Covid-19 pandemic.

T20 World Cup fixtures

The seventh edition of the T20 World Cup will begin with the Round 1 Group B encounter between hosts Oman and Papua New Guinea on 17 October, with Scotland and Bangladesh, the other teams in Group B, clashing in the evening match on the same day. Ireland, Netherlands, Sri Lanka, and Namibia - making up Group A - will be in action in Abu Dhabi the next day, with Round 1 matches running till 22 October. The top two teams in each group will proceed to the Super 12 stage of the tournament, beginning on 23 October.

The second round of the tournament – the Super 12 stage – will get underway in Abu Dhabi on 23 October, with the Group 1 contest between Australia and South Africa. This will be followed up with an evening clash between England and West Indies in Dubai. Old rivals England and Australia will lock horns in Dubai on 30 October. The group will conclude on 6 November with matches between Australia and West Indies in Abu Dhabi, and England and South Africa in Sharjah.

The first semi-final will be held in Abu Dhabi on 10 November at 6 pm local time. The second semi-final will be hosted by Dubai on 11 November. Both semi-finals have reserve days. The final of the tournament will take place in Dubai on 14 November, Sunday, with Monday acting as the reserve day for the final.