IPL 2024: Will Impact Player Rule Be Scrapped From Next Season? - Jay Shah Answers

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Impact Player rule in the Indian Premier League (IPL) has divided opinion among the players and coaching staff of the teams as some feel the rule makes it a better spectacle, while some said it kills the growth of all-rounders.

One good example is Shivam Dube, who is an all-rounder, but rarely bowled for Chennai Super Kings as he was subbed off after his batting. The Mumbai all-rounder has now earned a call up to the Indian T20 World Cup 2024 squad, where he most likely enters without any real match bowling practice.

Several players, including current India captain Rohit Sharma has criticized the Impact Player rule, saying that the rule has been hampering the growth of all-rounders in the country. Axar Patel, Mitchell Starc and Mukesh Kumar have also said the rule only benefits the batting side.

First let's learn about the Impact Player rule and how it works in the Indian Premier League, before we see what the BCCI Secretary said on the future of the rule:

What exactly is Impact Player rule in IPL?

11 players feature on each side of an IPL game like every other cricket match but a team can introduce another player as an Impact Player, replacing one of the Indian players from the starting 11. For example, a team bowling first can bring a batter when they chase or vice versa.

How does the Impact Player rule work in IPL?

Under the IPL Impact Player rule, a team will have to list four substitutes at the toss in addition to the playing XI. They can use any one of the four substitutes as their Impact Player.

Can overseas player be used as Impact Sub in IPL?

If four overseas players are being named in a team's playing 11, then they can only bring in an Indian as the Impact Player. This is to limit the number of overseas players per game to four per team.

However, if a team names only three or lesser overseas players in their playing 11, then they can bring in a foreign player as the Impact Player if the said player is be among the four substitutes named at the toss.

Many experts felt the Impact Player rule is not needed as it cannot be used in international matches, especially during a T20 World Cup year when India needed all-rounders in good form.

Will the Impact Player rule be retained in the next IPL seasons?

BCCI secretary Jay Shah has said Impact Player rule is not permanent, and a call on its use in future editions of IPL will be taken after a discussion with stakeholders of the league after the completion of the 2024 T20 World Cup.

"Impact Player is like a test case. We have implemented it slowly. The biggest advantage of it is that two Indian players are getting a chance [in each game], which is the most important," Shah told reporters at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai on Thursday.

"We will consult with the players, franchises, broadcasters [and take a call]. This is not permanent [but] I am not saying that it will go. [We'll see] if it's making the game more competitive or not.

"Even then, if a player feels that this is not right, then we will talk to them. But no one has told us anything yet, so it will be decided after the World Cup."

So, going by Shah's statement, the future of the Impact Player rule will be known after a meeting with the stakeholders of the Indian Premier League post the T20 World Cup. The meeting will also decide the number of retention per team which stands at 4 for now.