A cricketing defensive tactic has resulted in a major environmental impact for India, with 41,000 trees planted across the country following this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL) final, in which Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) were victorious over Gujarat Titans.
The saplings were the result of the tournament’s ‘Green Dot’ initiative, where every ‘dot ball’ – meaning a delivery a batter does not score off – means 500 new trees are planted.
According to the most recent figures, a total of 641,166 new trees have been planted since the IPL project began three years ago, although in its first years only the four play-off matches were included.
In the 2026 final a total of 82 deliveries which resulted in no runs were recorded, 43 bowled by the Titans and 39 by RCB.
Across the entire IPL tournament, tens of thousands of new trees will now be growing, as during the league stage of the tournament, in which each of the 10 competing teams play 14 games, a total of 19 trees per dot ball are planted across the 84 matches.
So if 50 dot balls are registered by both sides, which is about average, 950 trees are the result.
This rises to 500 for the final play-off matches in the environmental project created by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in collaboration with Tata Group.
The campaign has witnessed massive contribution from several bowlers this season, notably the Titans’ Indian test match star Mohammed Siraj who bowled 109 dot balls in the league phase and 10 in the final.
Rajasthan Royals and England fast bowler Jofra Archer and another Titans player, South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada, have also come to the fore with over 100 dot balls in IPL 2026.
Collectively these three bowlers have contributed in the planting of over 6,000 trees during the series.
In a statement, BCCI and Tata explained: ‘The initiative is part of the BCCI’s sustainability drive, transforming one of cricket’s most tactical plays into a symbol of regenerative action — ensuring every dot ball contributes to greener landscapes across India.
‘The initiative, till date, has led to the planting of over six lakh (600,000) tree saplings in specialised plantations for greater long-term survival across multiple locations in Assam, Munnar in Kerala, Sanand in Gujarat, Yavatmal in Maharashtra and Salooni in Himachal Pradesh, which are better suited in terms of climate and soil conditions.
‘More than 25 native species of tree saplings are professionally nurtured on an ongoing basis by experienced planters for long term continued care.’
Plantation sites include urban forests, coastal erosion zones, and a dedicated cricket forest at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, where a commemorative 400,000th tree was planted by BCCI President Roger Binny in December 2024.
A new trophy has also been introduced in each match for the bowler who delivers the most dot ball, taking the form of a hollow cricket ball with a plantable seed inside.
