Reports: DRS could make IPL debut in 2018

What's the story?

The BCCI's resistance against the DRS (Decision Review System) has been well-documented over the years, but all of it could change soon, with the board said to looking at the possibility of implementing the system during IPL 2018.

According to a report in The Times of India, the BCCI has been conducting a unique workshop for India's ten top umpires outside the ICC panel in Visakhapatnam.

"This is the first time that such a DRS specific workshop has been conducted for BCCI umpires. Technology is definitely going to play a key role in umpiring decisions in the future. So there has to be awareness among the umpires regarding DRS. As of now, there hasn't been any decision taken on having DRS this IPL. But there's still time," an official in the BCCI told ToI.

In case you didn't know...

The Indian board hasn't been a fan of the DRS, that was officially launched in 2009, during a Test between New Zealand and Pakistan. Despite India winning the 2011 World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy while the system was in use, the BCCI has not been a fan of it, with the mistrust arising mainly due to the board finding the ball-tracking technology to be unconvincing.

The heart of the matter

The workshop is being headed by ICC Umpires coach Denis Burns, in the company of Paul Reiffel, the former Australian cricketer who turned umpire in 2004-05.

Both Burns and Reiffel comprehensively explained the details of the to the umpires, with stress being given to the Indian official to beef up their knowledge of the protocols in place, especially as these umpires reprise roles of the fourth umpire during international games.

They went into detail about the technologies and the various communication mechanism in place, capping it off with a simulation session with the workshop lasting for an entire day.

What's next?

While the official remained non-committal about BCCI taking any decision about DRS's implementation in the IPL, the signs show that nothing can be ruled out as of now and there's still time for the decision to take place.

Author's take

The BCCI has come a long way in its stand of the DRS since the days when erstwhile president N Srinivasan called it 'a fault system'. While opinion continues to be divided on the controversial 'Umpire's Call', the system has been working fairly well in the international circuit and could find a place in the IPL's 11th edition, which already promises to be exciting with the nature of the auctions.