The Indian Premier League is a tournament of fun and competitive cricket. Of late, much debate is going on around the ‘Impact Player’ rule. It allows teams to use 12 players instead of the usual 11. This additional player could either be a batter or even a bowler brought in at any time during the match. However, this rule has not gone down well. Even top players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have openly come out against it.
Players offer harsh words
Sharma, one of the key players and captain of the Indian cricket team, said he isn’t such a fan of the Impact Player rule. He has added that cricket should be played with 11 players, not 12. The Impact Player rule changes the essence of cricket just for entertainment purposes. The skipper mentioned that players like Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube might not get a chance to bowl because of this rule.
Another star player, Kohli, has taken the same side as his countryman. He feels that as much as entertainment is part of the game, the Impact Player rule breaks the balance. He feels it has to be played by 11 players, like the traditional format. He supports him with the statement that with this rule, the core features of the game are taken away from it.
Future ramifications of emerging ‘Impact Player’ impact
A mega meeting between the Board of Control for Cricket in India and all owners of the IPL franchises is due. The said meeting has been scheduled for July 31, weeks before the mega auction that will be conducted for the next season. The major thing that will be discussed in this meeting is how the proceedings regarding the impact player rule are going to take place in the future. The proponents of the Impact Player rule explain that it has created an additional layer of strategy and excitement in the game. The fact that teams can call in an extra player at any time could make the matches more unpredictable and, therefore, exciting. This can make the game viewable to more audiences and increase the general interest in a given tournament.
Concerns about player development
This is one of the major fears that critics have raised over the Impact Player rule: it can hamper the growth of some players. If each team turns too often to its star players in the extra player option, then younger or less-experienced players might not get enough playing time to demonstrate their skills, which will, in the long run, impact their growth. The entertainment quotient of IPL is undeniable, and maybe that is the reason behind its huge following. It has made the tournament more intense and competitive. Probably that is why the rule of the impact player came in—to just keep the matches exciting and the fans engaged.
As the meeting approaches, the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the IPL franchises are going in with different notions for the impact player rule. There is huge backing to continue with it, but the voices of powerful people like Sharma and Kohli cannot be disregarded. Any decision to take at the meeting will determine the future of the IPL and the game itself. Fans and players alike would be watching with bated breath for whatever changes, if any, are to be brought into this highly controversial rule.
