With the new states struggling to find competitive players to field for their maiden outing in senior tournaments approved by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the upcoming season, the Indian board is mulling over relaxing the rule of fielding only three professionals in a team for the debutant states.

For the first time, states like Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Pondicherry, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Assam will field a team each in the BCCI age groups and senior tournaments following the Supreme Court's directives. Bihar too will make a comeback into BCCI tournaments after an 18-year hiatus.