Shalini SinghIn cricket, "fair play" means playing within the Laws and also within the Spirit of Cricket: respect for opponents, team-mates and umpires. The ICC puts the Spirit of Cricket at the front of its playing conditions. The IPL rewards it each season with its Fair Play Award, won by Punjab Kings in 2026.
What the Spirit of Cricket says
The ICC playing conditions, such as the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 Playing Conditions, open with a preamble called "The Spirit of Cricket". It says cricket should be played "not only according to the Laws" but also within that spirit. The major responsibility for fair play rests with the captains, but it extends to all players and match officials, and, in junior cricket, to teachers, coaches and parents.
Respect is central to the Spirit of Cricket.
The preamble then lists what that respect looks like:
- Respect your captain, team-mates, opponents and the authority of the umpires.
- Play hard and play fair.
- Accept the umpire's decision.
- Create a positive atmosphere by your own conduct, and encourage others to do the same.
- Show self-discipline, even when things go against you.
- Congratulate the opposition on their successes, and enjoy those of your own team.
- Thank the officials and your opponents at the end of the match, whatever the result.
What counts as unfair play
The Spirit of Cricket is not just advice. Clause 41 of the playing conditions, "Unfair Play", makes the captains responsible for keeping play within the Spirit of Cricket and makes the umpires the sole judges of fair and unfair play. The clause covers, among other things:
| Unfair play | Clause |
|---|---|
| Changing the condition of the ball | 41.3 |
| Deliberately trying to distract the striker | 41.4 |
| Deliberately distracting, deceiving or obstructing a batter | 41.5 |
| Dangerous or unfair short-pitched deliveries, and full tosses above waist height | 41.6, 41.7 |
| Bowling a deliberate front-foot no-ball | 41.8 |
| Wasting time, by the fielding side or by a batter | 41.9, 41.10 |
| Damaging the pitch, or running on its protected area | 41.11 to 41.15 |
| Batters trying to "steal" a run while the bowler runs in | 41.16 |
For an unfair action that no other rule covers, the umpires follow a set procedure. A first offence brings a first and final warning to the captain, which applies to the whole team for the rest of the match. Any further offence by that team gives 5 penalty runs to the other side. The umpires can also report the player to the ICC match referee.
The IPL Fair Play Award
The Indian Premier League has given a Fair Play Award since its first season in 2008. It goes to the team with the best record for sportsmanship over the season, not the most wins.
After each match, the two on-field umpires and the third umpire give both teams points in four areas, according to Sporting News and CricTracker:
| Criterion | Points |
|---|---|
| Spirit of the game | 4 |
| Respect for the opposition | 2 |
| Respect for the Laws of cricket | 2 |
| Respect for the umpires | 2 |
Teams play different numbers of matches once the playoffs start, so published tables rank them by average points per match. In CricTracker's final 2026 table, Punjab Kings were first with 140 points from 14 matches (an average of 10.00). Gujarat Titans were second with 169 points from 17 matches (9.94).
Every IPL Fair Play Award winner
| Season | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2008 | Chennai Super Kings |
| 2009 | Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) |
| 2010 | Chennai Super Kings |
| 2011 | Chennai Super Kings |
| 2012 | Rajasthan Royals |
| 2013 | Chennai Super Kings |
| 2014 | Chennai Super Kings |
| 2015 | Chennai Super Kings |
| 2016 | Sunrisers Hyderabad |
| 2017 | Gujarat Lions |
| 2018 | Mumbai Indians |
| 2019 | Sunrisers Hyderabad |
| 2020 | Mumbai Indians |
| 2021 | Rajasthan Royals |
| 2022 | Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans (shared) |
| 2023 | Delhi Capitals |
| 2024 | Sunrisers Hyderabad |
| 2025 | Chennai Super Kings |
| 2026 | Punjab Kings |
Chennai Super Kings have won it a record seven times (2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2025). Punjab Kings' 2026 award, under Shreyas Iyer, was their first since 2009.
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Sources
ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 Playing Conditions: Preamble (The Spirit of Cricket) and clause 41 (Unfair Play); ICC: Playing Conditions; Sporting News: What is the Fairplay Award in IPL?; CricTracker: IPL Fair Play Award winners list, 2008 to 2026
This article was written by the FairPlay Editorial Desk with AI assistance, using the sources listed above. It is reviewed by a FairPlay editor before publication. To report an error, see our Editorial Policy.