“Impact Player is like a test case”: Jay Shah on controversial IPL rule

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 consultation with the 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 IPL 2024 and the BCCI Secretary said that the rule is not “permanent” and a decision on its use in future editions of the IPL would be taken after a conversation with stakeholders after the 2024 T20 World Cup.

The Impact Player rule has been cited as one of the main causes of the huge scores recorded in 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 prominent Indian player to protest against the regulations, which were introduced in the IPL in 2023.

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

“[We’ll see] whether this is making the game more competitive or not. Still, if a player feels this isn’t right, we’ll 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 made IPL games “fun” to watch, but agreed that it was “scary” for the bowlers as the rule allowed orders longer hits.

“It’s difficult for pitchers, especially if conditions are good for hitting, because batting orders are extended and batters have more freedom to come out and continue to fight,” Hussey said.

“So it must be a great spectacle for the fans to keep seeing these scores going up all the time and probably puts a greater emphasis on execution with the ball. Sometimes it can be very difficult for bowlers, but we put a lot of focus on death bowling, especially with Impact Player [rule],” he added.

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

“The Impact Player rule changes things a bit. Everyone can bat a lot deeper with a batting and bowling XI. There has been a lot of talk about this rule throughout the tournament and there have been a lot of high scores, which is the nature of wickets and the pitches we play on here When you have batsmen and batting all-rounders coming in at number 8 or 9, it is a long batting line-up,” said Starc, who has conceded runs at 11:37 so far.