Daijiworld Media Network - Dubai
Dubai, Jun 16: In a major development set to reshape modern fielding dynamics in international cricket, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has decided to disallow the much-debated ‘Bunny Hop’ catches from being considered legal dismissals. This move comes after the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), custodians of the laws of the game, made crucial amendments aimed at redefining the laws governing boundary catches.
Under the revised rules, effective from October 2026, fielders will no longer be allowed to jump from beyond the boundary rope and make multiple contacts with the ball while airborne to complete a catch. According to MCC, once a fielder jumps from outside the boundary and makes the first contact with the ball in the air, they must return to the field of play and touch the ground before making any second contact. Failing to do so will result in the delivery being declared a boundary.
Although current Law 19.5.2 technically allowed such catches, they were often viewed as against the spirit of the game by fans and experts. The new change is expected to resolve this controversy. MCC confirmed that any second contact with the ball while airborne beyond the rope or stepping out after touching the ball mid-air will result in a boundary being awarded.
Relay catches, where one fielder tosses the ball to another to complete the dismissal, also come under the revised rule. Now, if the first fielder touches the ball from beyond the boundary line, they must return inside the field of play before passing the ball to a teammate for the catch to be considered valid.
One of the most high-profile instances of the ‘Bunny Hop’ technique occurred during the 2023 Big Bash League, when Brisbane Heat’s Michael Neser took a sensational boundary catch against Sydney Sixers by leaping outside the rope and juggling the ball mid-air. Though the on-field umpires declared it out as per the rulebook, it drew widespread debate and criticism.
Similarly, in the recently concluded IPL 2025 season, Chennai Super Kings player Dewald Brevis attempted a nearly identical boundary catch against Punjab Kings, sparking renewed attention on the loophole. Such attempts will no longer be allowed under the new ruling.
To familiarise the cricketing community with the updated rule, ICC has decided to implement it on a trial basis during the Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh match scheduled for June 17 in Galle.
However, formal integration into the Laws of Cricket will happen during MCC’s global law revision round in October 2026.
As per the amendment, for a boundary catch to be legal, the fielder’s first contact with the ball must happen within the field of play. If a second contact is required, the fielder must be fully inside the boundary rope. Presently, a catch is only considered illegal if the fielder touches both the ball and the ground outside the boundary. This technicality allowed several acrobatic yet controversial catches in recent years.
With this reform, ICC aims to bring clarity and restore fairness to catching standards, especially along the boundary ropes.