INDIA: The Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to introduce a new rule for the 2023 season: the Impact Player rule. This rule allows teams to play with 12 players in their squad, effectively allowing for the use of an extra specialist bowler or batter depending on the situation in a match.
The Impact Player rule is similar to substitutes in other team sports like football, rugby, and basketball. However, teams in the IPL will only be allowed to bring on one Impact Player as opposed to multiple players. Once a player has been replaced by an Impact Player, they can no longer take part in the match.
The captains must choose a starting lineup of eleven players and five substitutes before the game, with just one player allowed to enter as an Impact Player.
The Impact Player cannot be an international player if the side already has four international players in the starting lineup.
An Impact Player from a country other than India can only be added if the starting XI includes fewer than four international players. Teams are free to choose whether or not to utilise the Impact Player; it is not required of them.
Impact players can be used by teams at any point in the first or second inning of the game. The Impact Player will be suggested by the captain to the umpire, who will then indicate the replacement as necessary. A player with impact can bat and bowl the complete four overs.
A bowling team is unable to bowl the remaining balls in an over if the Impact Player is added in the middle of an over. If a batting team introduces the Impact Player, the player they take the place of is regarded as having retired out.
The Impact Player rule’s potential to eliminate the value of all-rounders in the game is an intriguing part of it. “Unless they’re absolutely world-class and they’re getting picked either as a batsman or as a bowler, not sort of a bits and pieces guy, then I don’t think you’ll see many, many teams this year actually use the guy that might bat at seven and maybe bowl over or two,” asserts Ricky Ponting, head coach of the Delhi Capitals.
The Impact Player rule could add a strategic dimension to the game and allow for tactical changes to be made to teams as the match progresses.
However, in combination with the tweak regarding naming the XI after a toss, the rule has essentially become a straight substitution. It will be interesting to see how teams utilise the Impact Player rule in the upcoming IPL season.
In conclusion, the impact player rule is a new and exciting addition to the IPL that could potentially change the way teams approach their game. It will be interesting to see how teams utilise the rule and whether it will lead to a shift in the role of all-rounders in the game.
Overall, the Impact Player rule promises to add an exciting new dimension to the world’s most popular T20 cricket league.
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