WPL 2026: Sophie Devine urges for review of fielding rules, boundary lengths

New Zealand captain Sophie Devine has urged cricket’s lawmakers to reassess fielding regulations and boundary dimensions in women’s cricket, saying the current playing conditions tilt the balance too heavily in favour of batters.

Under existing rules, teams are permitted to place no more than four fielders outside the inner circle during non-powerplay overs. However, Devine believes the rule warrants closer scrutiny as the power and athleticism in the women’s game continues to grow.

“There needs to be a serious look at the four-fielders-out rule. We are pretty close to going in line with the men and having five fielders out on the boundary,” Devine told reporters on Thursday.

“We’ve all seen the power that the women’s game has got now and I don’t think having five fielders out would make a hindrance to the possibility and opportunities to score more runs,” she added.

Devine also pointed to the disparity in boundary dimensions between men’s and women’s competitions. In the Women’s Premier League, the maximum boundary length is capped at 60 metres, while in the men’s tournament boundaries can extend up to 77 metres. She suggested that shorter boundaries, combined with restrictive fielding rules, further skew contests in favour of batters.

Signed by Gujarat Giants at the 2026 WPL auction, Devine has enjoyed a strong season and currently ranks among the top five run-scorers and wicket-takers in the tournament. Despite her success with both bat and ball, the all-rounder admitted that bowlers are increasingly finding it difficult to make an impact.

“The balance is distorted towards batters, especially when you’re playing on wickets that are so flat and offering not too much for the bowlers,” Devine said.

The New Zealand skipper also addressed the growing use of the ‘retired-out’ tactic in the WPL, which has drawn attention after Gujarat Giants’ Ayushi Soni and UP Warriorz batter Harleen Deol exited mid-innings during the opening week of the tournament.

“At the end of the day, those decisions are always made with the team coming first and what’s going to be best for the team to be able to gain momentum,” Devine said, backing the strategy.

She also expressed her preference for the ‘retired-out’ option over the impact player rule, which allows teams to substitute a player during a match.

“I like the idea that you can do all skills, or certainly bat, and still be able to go on the field,” Devine added.