“Impact Player Is Like A Test Case”: Jay Shah On IPL’s Controversial Rule

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah refused to commit to the continuation of the Impact Player rule in the Indian Premier League (IPL), saying it would be decided after consulting with captains and coaches. However, he emphasised the importance of the rule, which permits two additional Indian players to be included in an IPL team’s XI. The Impact Player rule has been a hot topic of debate during the IPL 2024 and the BCCI Secretary said that the rule is not “permanent,” and a decision on its use in future IPL editions would be made after a conversation with stakeholders following the 2024 T20 World Cup.

The Impact Player rule has been cited as one of the primary causes for the enormous scores recorded in the IPL 2024. Rohit Sharma, for example, has stated that the restriction has hampered the development of all-rounders in the country. He was the first high-profile Indian player to protest the regulation, which was introduced in the IPL in 2023.

“Impact Player is like a test case. We have implemented it slowly. The biggest advantage of it is that two Indian players are getting a chance [in each game], which is the most important. We will consult with the players, franchises, broadcasters [and take a call]. This is not permanent [but] I am not saying that it will go,” Shah told reporters at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai according to ESPNcricinfo.

“[We’ll see] if it’s making the game more competitive or not. Even then, if a player feels that this is not right, then we will talk to them. But no one has told us anything yet, so it will be decided after the World Cup,” he added.

Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batting coach Mike Hussey stated that the regulation has made IPL games “fun” to watch, but agreed that it was “scary” for bowlers, as the rule allowed for longer batting orders.

“It’s hard for bowlers, especially if the conditions are good for batting because the batting orders are lengthened and batsmen have more freedom to come out and continue to go hard,” Hussey said.

“So, it must be a great spectacle for the crowd to keep seeing these scores growing all the time and it probably puts a bigger emphasis on execution with the ball. It can be really difficult at times for bowlers but we’ve put a big focus on death bowling, particularly with the Impact Player [rule],” he added.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) fast bowler Mitchell Starc also stated that the Impact Player rule had contributed to bowlers’ poor performance in the ongoing IPL 2024 season.

“The Impact Player rule changes things a fair bit. Everyone gets to bat a lot deeper having a batting and a bowling XI. There’s a lot made of that rule throughout the tournament and there’s been a lot of high scores, which is the nature of the wickets and the grounds we play on here. When you have batters and batting allrounders come in at Nos. 8 or 9, it’s a long batting line-up,” Starc, who has conceded runs at 11.37 so far, had said.