Limited DRS use for Ranji semi-finals

The restricted technology for the Ranji semis will not have Hawk Eye and Ultra Edge, two key components of the DRS that is used in international games.

Limited use of the Decision Review System was always planned for the Ranji Trophy semi-finals and not the knock-out stages, clarified the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s general manager of cricket Saba Karim on Tuesday.

The move to introduce limited DRS comes after umpires committed howlers in some knock-out games in the previous season. The quarter-finals, starting on Thursday, will not see its use.

"We are introducing from the semi-finals. This the first time we have initiated this program, we wanted to bring it in the semi-finals and we have done that.  It was never meant for the quarter-finals," Karim, also a former India wicketkeeper, said.

"The whole idea is that we wanted to bring in the DRS wherein we can have uniformity for both the games and that will be in the semi-finals. All the four teams have been pitted equally and that would not have been possible before (in the quarters)," he said.

The restricted technology for the Ranji semis will not have Hawk Eye and Ultra Edge, two key components of the DRS that is used in international games.

"We will be using the technology which is available to us. We are looking at a very limited use of the DRS. We don't have snickometer and ball tracking. We have red zone and we have spin vision and we will try and give whatever is available to umpires for them to decide," added Karim.

In July, Karim had said the DRS will be used from the knock-outs.

"Last season, in some of the knock-out matches, there was some flak on umpires because there were some terrible howlers. So we want to avoid all that and use whatever help we can get.

"For the knock-outs in Ranji Trophy matches, we will utilise all the technology available to us as a means to apply the limited DRS to help the on-field umpires make the correct decision," he had told ESPNcricinfo in July.