ODI rule change has made scoring difficult in death overs, says Kohli

The ICC did away with batting powerplay in ODIs, and has permitted five fielders outside the 30-yard circle in the final 10 overs of an innings, while the previous rule required only four fielders that usually saw batting sides rip apart bowling attaks towards the finish.

“It has become difficult for the batsman in ODIs compared to the rules in the past, especially in the sub-continent. The reason is that the ball is getting rough and old and not having too much pace, and thus difficult to get to the boundaries,” Kohli told a media conference on Saturday in Mumbai, ahead of the fifth and final ODI against South Africa. “I think it won't be difficult to play outside the subcontinent because it won’t be that bad having five fielders outside the circle, there are more chances to rotate strike. It will be interesting to see how the rule works abroad. With change in rules, more of running between the wickets need to be done to get the scoring on way. It has become difficult especially in the late part of the innings," Kohli added.

Last week, India’s limited-overs skipper Mahendra Dhoni said the rule change has redefined the game as teams now need a quality batsman at No. 7.

“You need to have someone who can bat at No. 7. If the opposition gets two wickets with the new ball, then there is a lot of pressure on the middle-order. With the rule changes, the batsmen who come after the 40th over will find it difficult to play the big shots straight away,” Dhoni told a news conference.

“From 40th to 50th over, it's not easy to just go in and slam the big shots and get 80-90 runs. So you need someone who can bat at No. 7 and deal with the situation.”