Cricket's boundary lines have long been a stage for spectacular, often debated, fielding scenes. We have witnessed catches changing the course of a game entirely which also sparked controversies.

However, a significant shift is now underway as the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) decided to put an end to the "Bunny Hop" boundary line catches. Fans will no longer witness fielders performing multiple aerial contacts outside the boundary line to secure a wicket.

Moments like Michael Neser's controversial BBL grab and much-debated relay efforts like Tom Baton with Matt Renshaw in 2020 are now explicitly illegal. 

Get each and every detail about the MCC cricket rule update which marks an end of the "Bunny Hop" boundary line catch below:

Understanding the New Rule: A complete breakdown

The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the official lawmaker of cricket, has updated the law 19.5.2 to address aerial boundary catches, specifically targeting the "bunny hop" technique. Here's what you need to know about the new update:

• Initial airborne contact from outside: If a fielder jumps from outside the boundary to touch the ball while airborne, that's their only airborne contact allowed from that position.
• Must land inside (immediately): After the single airborne touch, the fielder must land completely inside the field of play. If any part of their body touches outside the line, it will be automatically considered a boundary.
• No multiple aerial touches from outside: This means fielders can no longer "juggle" or make repeated airborne touches to the ball while being outside the boundary line.
• Relay Catches included: The rule applies equally to relay catches. If a fielder outside the boundary parries the ball back into play for a teammate, they must also adhere to "one airborne touch then land inside" rule. If they failed to do so, it will considered a boundary even if the other teammate completes the catch.

Read Also: Safest hands: Most catches in IPL history

The MCC has changed the law to make catches like this 'bunny hop' one from Michael Neser illegal. In short:

If the fielder's first touch takes them outside the boundary, their *second* touch must take them back inside the field of play.

Basically, you're no longer allowed to… pic.twitter.com/1jaqAev0hy

— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) June 14, 2025

The MCC's official statement:

The updated law will be integrated into ICC's playing conditions this month (June) and also into the MCC's laws in October 2026.

They have stated: "MCC has devised a new wording where the 'bunny hop' wholly beyond the boundary is removed, but these catches where the fielder pushes the ball up from inside the boundary, steps outside and then dives back in to catch the ball, are permitted."

"Our solution has been to limit any fielder who has gone outside the boundary to touching the ball while airborne only once, and then, having done so, to be wholly grounded within the boundary for the rest of the duration of that delivery."

"Even if the ball is parried - to another fielder or inside the field of play - if the fielder lands outside the boundary, or subsequently steps outside, then a boundary will be scored."

"For clarity, that means the fielder gets one chance, and one chance only, to touch the ball having jumped from outside the boundary. After that point, the boundary becomes a hard line - and any time they touch the ground in that delivery, whatever else happens, they must be inside."

This officially marks an end of the "Bunny Hop" boundary line catch and will be applied in the new WTC Cycle, which starts on June 17, 2025.

The World Test Championship was started in 2019 to make Test cricket interesting. The Championship has changed the way Test Cricket is being played. Teams like England and India, along with Australia, have shown their aggressive brand of cricket. 

South Africa are the current winner of the ICC World Test Championship. New Zealand and Australia have won the World Test Championships in the first two editions, while India played the final on both occasions.

Joe Root, the former test captain of England, has scored the most test centuries (21) in the World Test Championship.

Here are the players with the most Test centuries in the World Test Championship.

1. Joe Root | 21

England's Joe Root has the most Test centuries in the World Test Championship. So far, he has scored 21 centuries in 126 innings of 69 matches. Root is also the batsman who has scored the most runs in this tournament, with 6080 runs at an average of 52.86.

Till now, Root is the only batter to score more than 6000 runs in WTC history.

His best knock came against India in 2021 when he scored 228 in Chennai to help his side win the game. 

Read Also: Fav four in cricket: Kohli vs Root vs Williamson vs Smith overall stats

2. Steven Smith | 13

Australia's Steve Smith has now scored the most test centuries in the World Test Championship. The Aussie top-order batter has been one of the best test batters of this generation and has scored runs all around the world.

Smith is known for his unorthodox and yet effective batting style, which keeps on annoying the opponent's bowling lineups.

Till now in WTC, Steve Smith has scored 4225 runs at an outstanding average of 50.29, including 13 test centuries.

Read Also | Most Test Runs in Cricket History (Men's)

3. Marnus Labuschagne | 11

Australia's Marnus Labuschagne has scored 11 centuries in his Test career, and all have been scored in the World Test Championship. In 53 matches, he has scored 4225 runs at an average of 48.01 during the Test Championship.

Marnus used to have his test average over 50. However, a recent dip in form, which also led to him being dropped from the test side as well, brought his batting average down. 

Still, he is the batter with the second-most test centuries and third-most runs in WTC history so far. 

4. Kane Williamson | 11

Kane Williamson has batted amazingly in the World Test Championship. He has played only 28 matches so far in this tournament, but has managed to score 11 centuries in his 50 innings. 

Williamson has the best average (61.34) among the batsmen who have scored at least 2000 runs in the World Test Championship. During the Test match versus South Africa, the former Kiwi skipper scored two tons in the same game. 

Williamson, with 33 test centuries, is the batter with the third most test centuries among active batters. 

5. Rohit Sharma | 9

Former Indian test captain Rohit Sharma is the only Indian batter included in the 'most Test centuries in the World Test Championship' list.

Before retiring from the format, Rohit played 40 matches during the Test Championship since 2019. In his 69 innings, he has scored 9 centuries and 8 half-centuries with his bat.

With 2716 runs in the World Test Championship in just 40 Tests, Rohit is the highest scorer for India in WTC history so far, with an average is 41.15. Rohit Sharma's all of 9 test tons in WTC came in winning cause for India. 

Also Read: Most Test Hundreds for India since 2021

6. Harry Brook | 9

Currently, the ICC No.1 Men's test batter, Harry Brook, comes at number six on our list of players with the most test centuries in the World Test Championship. 

The English youngster has just played 26 test matches during the WTC cycles and has scored 9 centuries so far. 

Apart from Joe Root, he has been the shining armour of the English batting lineup in the last two seasons. Brook, till now, has scored 2424 test runs in WTC at an average of 55.09, with an outstanding strike rate of 84.54, the highest in WTC history. 

Read Also | Top 10 Underrated Cricketers Who Can Surprise You in 2025

7. Shubman Gill | 9

Before starting his tenure as the captain of the Indian men's test cricket team, Shubman Gill was nowhere on this list of batters with the most test hundreds in WTC history. 

Read Also | Every record Shubman Gill broke during the ENG vs IND, 2nd test at Edgbaston

But as he wore the blazer of the Indian team, he was a different beast. In the first two tests as captain, he hit three centuries, which also had a highest score of 269, the highest by any Indian test captain. 

Till now, in 37 tests in WTC, Gill has scored 2647 runs at an average of 41.35, including 9 test tons. 

8. Babar Azam | 8

The former Pakistan skipper has scored 8 centuries during the World Test Championship cycle. Babar Azam is the sixth in the list of batters with the most test centuries in WTC history.

In 36 matches, he has also scored 2998 runs at an average of 48.35 during the Test Championship.

The 29-year-old isn’t in the greatest of form currently, but on his day, Babar Azam is a delight to watch.

One of his most memorable knocks came against Australia in Karachi in 2022. Babar scored 196 while chasing a huge total in the 4th inning of the game.

9. Dhananjaya de Silva | 8

Sri Lanka's Dhananjaya De Silva might be one of the surprising names on this list.

The Sri Lanka captain has been one of the best batters for his country despite lacking support from the other end, most of the time.

So far, he has scored 8 centuries in 62 innings of 35 matches. Dhananjaya also scored 2509 runs, with an average of 44.80, during the Test Championship. Dhananjaya is also one of the active players with the most test centuries currently. 

Also Read: Most Wickets in Test Cricket

10. Travis Head | 8

Travis Head, the swashbuckling left-handed batter, has also scored 8 test tons during the World Test Championship cycle. The Aussie batter is one of the most dangerous middle-order batters in the world at the moment in test cricket. 

Till now, in 51 matches in WTC, Head has scored 3264 runs at an average of 40.80, with a strike-rate of 72.85. Head also scored 15 fifties during the World Test Championship. 

Head's 7 out of 8 test tons during the WTC came in a winning cause for Australia.

Read Also | Every heated moment of IPL 2025 that you missed

11. Usman Khawaja | 8

Australian opener Usman Khawaja has hit 8 centuries during the World Test Championship cycle.

In 42 matches, he has scored 3251 runs at an average of 45.78. The Southpaw batter is a treat to watch when he is in song and has restored his career with some outstanding scores for the current WTC champions.

He was also the second-highest-scoring batsman in the 2021–2023 WTC cycle with 1,621 runs, the highest by an Australian batsman.

England have been fined 10 per cent of their match fee and penalised two ICC World Test Championship points for maintaining a slow over-rate against India in the third Test at Lord’s.

In the last WTC cycle, too, England suffered a few points due to slow over rates. In England, where pace bowlers bowl more often than or not, teams would bowl pacers, which generally takes more time. 

In the recent past, experts have been saying that the ICC must find a balance between conditions to help teams where pacers come into action more. 

England, though, went on to win the third test of the Anderson-Tendulkar series at Lord's in a dramatic manner by 22 runs and are leading the series by 2-1.

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Richie Richardson of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanction after England were ruled to be two overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration.

In accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offences, players are fined five per cent of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time.

Read Also | "Find this ridiculous": Stuart Broad slams ICC's call on Siraj, while Gill's behaviour goes unpunished

In addition, as per Article 16.11.2 of the ICC World Test Championship playing conditions, a side is penalised one point for each over short. Consequently, two World Test Championship points have been deducted from England’s points total.

England captain Ben Stokes pled guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing.

On-field umpires Paul Reiffel and Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid, third umpire Ahsan Raza, and fourth umpire Graham Lloyd levelled the charge.

[Created from a press release by ICC]

Team India played their first knockout game in cricketing history against England in the 1983 Cricket World Cup semi-final match. Not only did they win the semi-final, but they also stood victorious in the Final against West Indies. This marked the beginning of India's journey in knockouts.

Over the years, they have played a total of 39 knockout matches, starting from the 1983 WC semi-final to the 2025 Champions Trophy Final. The good part about the two mentioned matches is that they won both games.

Get ready to dive into a detailed overview of team India's record in knockout games – ODI vs T20 vs Test.

Team India’s record in ODI knockouts (29 appearances)

• Total matches played: 29
• Won: 18
• Lost: 11

India played the maximum number of knockout matches in the ODI format of the game, having an impressive record of victories. They won 18 matches out of their 29 appearances, which includes memorable World Cup and Champions Trophy title wins.

Out of these knockout matches, 8 appearances were in the Finals of the respective tournaments. They won 4 finals and lost 4, with a win percentage of 50. What makes it more special is that all of these achievements came in different eras of cricket for India.

It started with the 1983 WC win led by Kapil Dev, which was carried forward by MS Dhoni's unparalleled squad of the 2011 WC, followed by the 2013 Champions Trophy triumph, and most recently, the 2025 Champions Trophy victory by the modern era of the Indian cricket team.

Read Also: Top 10 players with most runs in ICC knockout matches

Team India’s record in T20I knockouts (8 appearances)

• Total matches played: 8
• Won: 5
• Lost: 3

India has done exceptionally well in the shortest format, like T20, with 5 wins in 8 appearances. They played their first T20 knockout match against Australia, in the 2007 ICC T20 World Cup semifinal and won. They also ended the tournament on a brilliant note with a win against Pakistan in the Final match.

Talking about the final appearance, India played 3 finals and won twice among them. These include the 2007 WC win and the thrilling 2024 World Cup victory over South Africa.

India has showcased high potential and growth in the T20Is, having clinched their 2nd WC title under Rohit Sharma's captaincy. This victory, along with the rising talents doing extremely well in tournaments like the IPL, has raised the hopes higher for India in this format.

Read Also: ICC Trophy winners list year-wise (2000-2025)

Team India’s record in Test knockouts (2 appearances)

• Total matches played: 2
• Won: 0
• Lost: 2

Coming down to the longest format of the game, India had quite a hard luck playing in Test knockout games. Despite reaching the finals of the World Test Championship back-to-back, they could not taste victory in any.

The first time India played a Test knockout was in the 2021 WTC Final against New Zealand, where they lost by 8 wickets. The team bounced back well in the following season (2021-23) and reached the final, only to face a heartbreaking defeat by 209 runs against Australia.

Read Also: ICC tournaments hosted by India – History & Highlights

Performance breakdown – ODI vs T20 vs Test

Cricket's biggest tournaments bring together the best teams from around the world. From the fast-paced T20 format to the longest format of the game, each trophy is a huge achievement in international cricket.

Our list will provide you with the statistical breakdown of every ICC tournament, highlighting the teams that have dominated the cricket world across men's and women's competition, as well as the Under-19 category.

Check out the ICC trophy winners list year-wise (2000-2025):

ICC Men's Cricket World Cup (ODI)

Australia dominated the ICC ODI World Cup with 4 titles in 6 seasons from 2000-2025. They are the current champion side that defeated the host nation, India, on their home soil in the 2023 finals.

Here's the complete list of trophy winners:

Read Also: Indian Cricketers with Most ICC Titles

ICC Men's T20 World Cup

India holds the current title of the ICC T20 World Cup. They, along with England and the West Indies, won the title 2 times from 2000 to 2025. India defeated South Africa in a thrilling final match to reign as champions in 2024.

Here's the complete list of trophy winners (2000-2025):

ICC Champions Trophy (ODI)

Another ICC tournament where India has done exceptionally well with the most number of titles (3) from 2000 to 2025. They are also the current champions of the 2025 season, where they dominated the entirety of it, and eventually lifted the cup after a phenomenal victory over New Zealand.

Here's the list of trophy winners:

ICC World Test Championship

Inaugurated in 2019, the ICC World Test Championship was designed to award the supremacy of cricket's longest format. South Africa made history by winning the 2023-25 WTC cycle and breaking their ICC trophy drought.

Here's the list of trophy winners:

Read Also: Best figures in ICC WTC Final

ICC Men's Under-19 Cricket World Cup (ODI)

India won the most titles in Under-19 World Cup history with 5 titles to their name. The Australian side is the current champion, who won the 2024 edition, clinching their 4th title of this tournament.

ICC Women's Cricket World Cup (ODI)

Australia are the most successful team with 7 titles overall, and 3 titles in the span of 2000 to 2025. Led by legendary players like Margaret Jennings, Sharon Tredrea, Lyn Larsen, and Meg Lanning, the Australian side has been unparalleled.

Here's the list of trophy winners:

Read Also: Pratika Rawal becomes the fastest to reach 500 ODI runs in women's cricket.

ICC Women's T20 World Cup

ICC Women's T20 World Cup is a relatively new tournament, with the first edition being held in 2019. Out of the 9 seasons played so far, Australia stood victorious in 6 of them. However, New Zealand broke their winning streak by emerging as champions of the 2024 season. 

Read Also: Top 10 fastest centuries in Women's T20Is

ICC UNDER-19 WOMEN'S T20 WORLD CUP

ICC Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup is the newest among all the tournaments held by the International Cricket Council, inaugurated in 2023. India has won both the 2023 and 2025 seasons and has purely dominated the WC.

Recently the World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle ended. The final match of which was won by South Africa. South Africa was successful in winning its first ICC trophy after 27 years after defeating Australia. But amidst all this, former South African captain AB de Villiers has raised questions on the WTC format and has demanded several reforms from the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Also Read: Winners list of last 10 ICC Tournaments (men's)

De Villiers raised questions on the WTC format

AB de Villiers has strongly advocated making the World Test Championship schedule more fair and consistent for all Test playing nations. De Villiers, 41, has suggested a four-year cycle like the ODI World Cup, instead of the current two-year cycle, to ensure every team can compete against other Test-playing sides.

Speaking to BBC Sport, AB de Villiers expressed his disappointment. He said, “We’ve had some very disappointing and sad ends to a lot of campaigns, especially the World Cups, but now it’s time to start believing that we can do this more often,” 

“[This moment] won’t be lost. It was too big and too special for all South Africans – it was a Test match no one will ever forget. But yes, to a certain extent, something needs to be done.”

De Villiers advocates making WTC a balanced system

AB de Villiers further elaborated during this interaction, “I saw the schedule that came out for the next cycle of the WTC and there is an improvement, but I still feel there’s work that needs to be done there to just to get it as consistent as possible and as fair as possible for all for all Test-playing nations.”

“You want to get to that final feeling like you’ve played against all these nations,” De Villiers added. “Maybe a four-year cycle would be nice. We’ve done that in the past with one-day internationals, so why not in Test cricket? It would make sense and it would give the organisers just so much more time to get a really fair, well-balanced system out there.”

De Villiers believes a longer cycle will allow teams to play a sufficient number of matches, making a team's journey to the final more credible.

Also Read: Best figures in ICC WTC Final

South Africa played least number of Test matches in WTC 2023-25

De Villiers' comments come at a time when the Proteas have played the least number of Test matches (12) among the nine teams during the World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle. The number was a full 10 matches less than England's 22, while Australia, who face South Africa, played 19 matches during the World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle.