Former India cricketer Wasim Jaffer has petitioned the BCCI to remove the impact player rule from the IPL, claiming that it is impeding the development of all-rounders, which the Indian team desperately needs.
Since the 2023 season, the Impact Player rule has allowed clubs to make one substitute during the match. Depending on the demands of the team, the replacement player can assist with both the bat and the ball.
The Impact Player rule allows teams to rely less on all-rounders. A T20 squad used to consist of six hitters, four bowlers, and one all-rounder. The more all-rounders a team had, the more ‘balanced’ it appeared to be.
Teams can now play with six specialised hitters and five bowlers, with the option of an additional batter or bowler depending on the match situation. The regulation, which is increasingly being applied in domestic matches, simply permits them to be balanced even when all-rounders are not present.
“It’s not encouraging the all-rounders to bowl much”- Wasim Jaffer on Impact Player rule
Wasim Jaffer, on the other hand, believes that the impact player rule is detrimental to the development of all-rounders. In international cricket, the rule does not yet apply, and the Men in Blue rely largely on all-rounder Hardik Pandya. There has been discussion regarding the Indian team’s failure to develop new all-rounders, particularly pacer all-rounders to support Hardik Pandya.
It remains to be seen whether the impact player regulation would be retained in the future IPL 2024, with the BCCI taking note of the problem caused by this rule. If the BCCI removes the impact player restriction, it may have an impact on the plans and strategies of Indian Premier League franchises in the forthcoming IPL 2024 auction.
Because of their multiple duties, all-rounders like Yuvraj Singh, Chris Morris, and even Pat Cummins have been some of the most costly purchases in prior auctions.
