Phenylpropanoid metabolism and timely tapetal degradation are essential for male gametophyte development, but the underlying mechanisms in rice are unclear. In the current study, to investigate this process, we identified and analyzed the male-sterile mutant, osccrl1 (cinnamoyl coA reductase-like 1), which exhibits delayed tapetal programmed cell death and defective mature pollen. Map-based cloning, genetic complementation, and gene knockout revealed that OsCCRL1 corresponds to the gene LOC_Os09g32020.2, encoding a SDR (short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase) family enzyme. OsCCRL1 was preferentially expressed in the tapetal cells and microspores, and localized to the nucleus and cytoplasm in both rice protoplasts and Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. The osccrl1 mutant exhibited reduced CCRs enzyme activity, less lignin accumulation, delayed tapetum degradation signal, and disrupted phenylpropanoid metabolism. Furthermore, an R2R3 MYB transcription factor OsMYB103/OsMYB80/OsMS188, involved in tapetum and pollen development, regulates the expression of OsCCRL1. Finally, the osmyb103 osccrl1 double mutants, exhibited the same phenotype as the osmyb103 single mutant, further indicating that OsMYB103/OsMYB80/OsMS188 functions upstream of OsCCRL1. These findings help clarify the role of phenylpropanoid metabolism in rice male sterility and the regulatory network underlying the tapetum degradation in rice.