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 the matter would be decided after consultations with captains and coaches. However, he emphasized the importance of the rule, which allows two additional Indian players to be included in the XI of an IPL team. 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 taken after a discussion with stakeholders after the 2024 meeting. T20 World Cup.
The Impact Player rule has been cited as one of the main reasons for the huge scores in the IPL 2024. For example, Rohit Sharma 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 against the regulation, which was introduced in the IPL in 2023.
“Impact Player is like a test case. We implemented it slowly. The biggest advantage of it is that two Indian players get a chance [in each game], which is the most important. We will consult with the players, franchises and broadcasters [and take a call]. This is not permanent [but] I am not saying it will happen,” Shah told reporters at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai, according to ESPNcricinfo.
“[We’ll see] whether it makes the game more competitive or not. Even then, if a player feels this is not right, we will engage with him/her. But no one has told us anything yet, so the decision will be made after the World Cup,” he added.
Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batting coach Mike Hussey stated that the regulations have made IPL games “fun” to watch, but he agreed that it was “scary” for bowlers as the rule allowed longer batting order .
“It's tough for bowlers, especially when conditions are good to bat, because batting orders are extended and batsmen have more freedom to come out and keep going hard,” Hussey said.
“So it must be a great spectacle for the crowd to see these scores continually growing and it probably puts a greater emphasis on execution with the ball. It can be very difficult for bowlers at times but we have a big focus on death bowling, especially 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 the poor performance of bowlers in the ongoing IPL 2024 season.
“The Impact Player rule changes things quite a bit. Everyone is allowed to hit much deeper with a batting and a bowling wickets and the grounds we play on here. When you have batters and batting all-rounders coming in at Nos. 8 or 9, it's a long batting line-up,” Starc, who has been awarded points at 11.37 so far, had said.
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