IPL 2024: 'Cricket is played by 11, not 12' - Rohit Sharma gives Blunt Verdict on Impact Player Rule

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Mumbai Indians batter and India captain Rohit Sharma has given his verdict on the Impact Player rule in the Indian Premier League.

Impact Player rule is a de-novo strategy which was introduced in IPL from 2023. The rule allows a team to bring in a player as a substitute who can bat or bowl in a match after coming on.

It enables IPL teams to make strategic substitutions during a match. A team can introduce a substitute player at three key points: before the innings begin, after a wicket falls or a batter retires, and between overs. This flexibility aims to add a strategic layer to the game, allowing teams to adapt to changing conditions during a match.

Rohit Sharma's Verdict on Impact Player Rule

Amid the various debates on this rule, the India captain has stated that he is not a fan of the rule. Speaking on the Club Prairie Podcast, the India captain gave his blunt verdict on the rule. He gave a detailed review of the Impact Player rule and shared his concern about the development of the all-rounders.

"I generally feel that it is going to hold back (all-rounders) because eventually cricket is played by 11 players, not 12 players," Rohit said on the podcast.

"I'm not a big fan of impact player. You are taking out so much from the game just to make it a little entertainment for the people around. But if you look genuinely just cricketing aspect of it. I can give you so many examples - guys like Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube are not getting to bowl, which for us (Indian team) is not a good thing. I don't know what you can do about it, but I'm not a fan of it honestly speaking," he added.

Despite his reservations, Rohit recognized the strategic advantage the Impact Player Rule offers, particularly in adjusting team composition and strategy if a team understands the conditions early.

The Impact Player rule was first introduced on a trial basis in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2022. This rule allows a team to be more flexible with the lineup but the all-rounders' development gets sacrificed as the role of a pure batter or bowler magnifies with the rule.

Former Sunrisers Hyderabad coach Tom Moody also recently voiced his opinion against the Impact Player rule.