Ravi Shastri differs with Indian players on Impact Player rule in IPL

Former Team India Head coach Ravi Shastri has spoken in support of the Impact Player rule as the current season has seen a number of exciting finishes. Indian captain Rohit Sharma has criticized the Impact Player rule, claiming that it hinders the development of all-rounders in India, and it has been a major factor behind the high totals in IPL 2024.

Rohit Sharma was the first prominent player to express dissatisfaction with the rule. It was tested in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy before it was implemented in IPL 2023. Teams are allowed to replace a member of the starting XI with a 12th player at any point of time during the match.

In his conversation with spinner R Ashwin Shastri stated, “The Impact Player rule is great. You must evolve with the time.”

“It’s true that similar incidents occur in other sports. Matches have become more thrilling. I believe that it’s a good rule and one must adapt to the times you live in. You witnessed how many close calls we had in the Indian Premier League last year. Thus, it has indeed made a significant difference,” he continued.

Rohit Sharma thinks the rule restricts the growth of all-rounders. Apart from Rohit, Mukesh Kumar, Mohammed Siraj and several others Indian cricketers are not happy with the Impact Sub rule.

For instance, Ashwin mentioned Dhruv Jurel, who started his IPL career as an Impact Player in 2023 and made his Test debut for India the following year.

“As soon as a fresh rule is introduced, people will always try to argue why it’s wrong,” he added.

“However, people will begin to reconsider their perspectives once they see the scores—200 and 190—and as you noted, as players seize that chance and maximize it,” he concluded.

The BCCI Secretary, Jay Shah, stated that the Impact Player rule was ‘not permanent’ and a meeting with stakeholders will determine the future of the rule.

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