The Impact Player rule in the Indian Premier League (IPL) has garnered divided opinions from quarters of the cricketing fraternity. A nightmare for the bowlers, the impact player rule has been a part of the IPL for the past three years and will continue to do so at least till 2027, despite negative feedbacks from some of the big names in the sport.
Former India captain and coach Rahul Dravid agreed the Impact player rule has made the game competitive but has also brought problems along with it. While it has given the battthe
“It has certainly added a different dynamic,” Dravid told Sportstar.
“I’ll be honest: when I was India’s coach, I wasn’t particularly fond of the Impact Player rule. Not because it doesn’t make the game more competitive – it certainly does. It adds complexity and keeps matches alive till the very end. But from a national team perspective, it posed some challenges.”
“Statistically, scoring rates have increased due to teams having an extra specialist batter,” Dravid said.
“This means no team is ever truly out of a game. You can have a batter at No.8 or even No.9, which allows for aggressive hitting even after losing six or seven wickets.”
Dravid stressed on the negative impact that the rule can have specifically on all-rounders.
“As a coach, you want to develop all-rounders, and under the old 11 vs 11 format, certain players would have had more opportunities to bat or bowl in different situations. The Impact Player rule has changed that to some extent,” Dravid said. “While having an all-rounder still brings balance, teams can now manage without one if they don’t find the right fit.”
