Mumbai: The Indian Premier League (IPL) has fixed a five-minute period, split into two equal halves, for the mandatory strategic timeouts during the third edition of the Twenty20 event starting March 12.

“The batting team would have to take the two-and-a-half minute timeout mandatory between the sixth and eighth overs while the fielding side would have to take the time-out between the 11th and 16th overs,” IPL chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi said here Thursday.

Modi said the decision to specify the overs for taking the mandatory stoppages, lasting two-and-a-half minutes each, had been arrived at after having a look at the time-outs in other games like basketball and American football (NFL).

“We have found out that these are the times the batting and fielding teams normally rearrange their strategies. The players will not leave the field of play but would confer in the middle,” he said.

Modi said the batting side can opt for time-outs after the fifth, sixth or seventh over while the bowling team can do so after the end of the 10th to 15th overs. (PTI)