Why do you see tree icon on TV screens every time a dot ball is bowled in IPL playoffs?

IPL enthusiasts, who were watching the qualifier between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings on Sunday, started seeing a tree graphic whenever a dot ball was bowled. There was confusion and curiosity among the fans, and many even took to social media, looking for answers.

The live commentary soon had the answer. “Green dot balls is a new sustainability initiative by the BCCI. Five hundred trees will be planted for every dot ball bowled in all the matches in the playoffs,” the commentary said.

The BCCI had not made a formal announcement regarding the initiative before the start of the game, leading to confusion among the fans.

As many as 34 dot balls were bowled in the match in which Chennai Super Kings qualified for their 10th final with a 15-run win over holders Gujarat Titans.

BCCI also plans to distribute saplings across different regions of the country, say media reports. The initiative is in partnership with Tata Group.

On Monday, BCCI secretary Jay Shah took to Twitter to announce the news.

"We are proud to partner @TataCompanies
in planting 500 saplings for each dot ball in the @IPL
playoffs. Qualifier 1 #GTvsCSK got 42,000 saplings, thanks to 84 dot balls.

Who says T20 is a batter’s game? Bowlers’ it’s all in your hands," he wrote.