After Indian captain Rohit Sharma criticized the Impact Player rule introduced by the BCCI in IPL 2023, the cricket board has responded to his remarks.
Sharma stated he is not a fan of the rule, which was devised to increase entertainment value but has received mixed reviews from players, as it could hinder all-rounders’ development. The BCCI introduced the Impact Player rule in the last season, but debate around it has escalated since the national team captain shared his views about its negative effects.
Rohit recently featured on the Club Prairie Fire podcast alongside Adam Gilchrist and Michael Vaughan.
“I do not support the Impact Player rule, as I believe it will hamper all-rounders. The sport is played by 11 players, not 12. This rule diminishes key aspects of the game solely for the sake of spectator entertainment.”
“However, if you examine the situation honestly, just from a cricketing perspective, I can provide numerous examples of issues – players like Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube are not getting opportunities to bowl, which we view as problematic.” he added.
The BCCI responded to Rohit Sharma’s criticism by stating that the board is willing to re-examine the controversial rule. IPL council chairman Arun Dhumal said the stakeholders will meet after the ongoing IPL season concludes to decide on the rule, noting that ‘its implementation is not set in stone.’
“Given this observation has been made, we will investigate it without a doubt.” IPL governing council chairman Arun Dhumal said, “We will talk with all parties involved and then make a decision. “Any rule has its advantages and disadvantages. Once the season concludes, we will welcome discussion.”
The Impact Player rule allows captains to substitute a player during a match. Teams often swap batters for bowlers and vice versa to suit the game situation. As a result, the all-rounders have suffered the most as they are unable to fully showcase both skills. CSK’s Shivam Dube is the perfect example. His explosive batting has taken the IPL by storm. However, since CSK rarely use him as a bowler due to the Impact Player Rule, his bowling remains unproven. Had Dube bowled and performed well, his World Cup selection chances would be much higher.