Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma has publicly expressed his disapproval of the Impact Player rule in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Speaking on the Club Prairie Podcast, Sharma argued that the rule, which allows teams to bring in a 12th player at any point in a match to replace a player from the XI after the toss, is detrimental to the growth of all-rounders in Indian cricket.
Rohit Sharma’s concern for Indian all-rounders
Sharma’s concern stems from the fact that the rule could potentially halt the development of all-rounders at the top tier of Indian cricket. He believes that cricket is a game of 11 players, not 12. He stated, “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.”
Sharma cited the examples of Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube, who are not getting to bowl, which he believes is not beneficial for the Indian cricket team. He expressed his worry about the cricketing aspect of the rule and its impact on the development of Indian all-rounders.
“But if you look genuinely just cricketing aspect of it. I can give you so many examples – guys like Washington Sundar, and Shivam Dube are not getting to bowl, which for us 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 said.
The Impact Player rule was introduced in the IPL in 2023. It was adopted from the Big Bash League and tested in the domestic circuit in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2022 before its implementation at the top tier. Since then, IPL teams have effectively used the rule to substitute a specialist bowler or a batter depending on the conditions of the game.
However, Sharma’s comments highlight the potential downside of the rule. While it adds an element of strategy and unpredictability to the game, it may also inadvertently hinder the development of all-rounders, who are crucial to the balance of any cricket team.
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