Indian Premier League 2024 is going to initiate the new Impact Player Rule
The world’s biggest cricket fiesta, Indian Premier League 2024 is just around the corner, and from this edition onwards the fans will get to see a new rule which will take the excitement level of this season to its peak. Indian Premier League is known for bringing something new into the world of cricket every season and this year too is no less than any other year. This would be the very first edition where the players would get to choose an “Impact Player ”. This player will be a substitute player who can bat and bowl. The idea is very much a replica of the substitution rule in the games like football, basketball, etc wherein the subs are brought in when the match is in a critical phase. The 16th edition of IPL is all set to begin on March 31st, 2024 at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. Let’s have a recap of what the ‘Impact Player’ rule is.
Along with the playing 11, the teams have to give 4 names as their substitute players after the toss. The Impact Player should be from that list of four names. It is pretty straightforward yet a different thing to experience in the cricketing world. That player doesn’t need to be an Indian Player, it depends upon the team and how many foreign players are there in the playing 11 of a team. Hypothetically, if there’s a match between CSK and GT, and GT has already named 4 foreign players in their playing 11, then in that case GT would have to take an Indian player as their Impact Player. However, if CSK has taken 3 or less than three foreign players in their playing 11 then they will be allowed to bring a foreign player as their Impact Player. But the player should be from the list of 4 names given after the toss. In any scenario, there is a constant rule since the beginning of the tournament to make sure that only 4 foreign players can be a part of the playing 11 of a team.
The Impact Player can come into the ground at any given point, right from the beginning of the first innings, or can also be brought before the last over of the second innings has been bowled. They can also be brought in at the end of any over, after a fall of a wicket, or when a player is retired hurt. However, if the Impact player is brought in by the bowling side after a wicket, or when the batter is retired, then the Impact Player who comes in would have to wait for the next over to bowl. He will not the allowed to complete the incomplete over. Once a player is replaced for any reason by the Impact Player then they would not be allowed to return to the game at any point, not even as a substitute player.
The IPL committee would ensure that when the batting side calls for the Impact Player to come in and bat after a batter is dismissed or retired – a player (most probably a bowler) from the batting side will not get to bat so that total of 11 batters are there even after the Impact Player rule. No matter how many overs the player has bowled if replaced by the Impact Player then the Impact Player will get to bowl his full quota of 4 overs. It all comes down to the strategies that the teams make and how they use the Impact Player rule in their respective matches. IPL committee has a new umpire sign for the initiation of the Impact Player. They have to clench their fist and cross their arms above their heads.
