The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) intends to implement the ‘impact player’ rule in the country’s domestic T20 tournaments, including the Indian Premier League (IPL). The rule will be tested for the first time in the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, which begins on October 11, before being implemented in the IPL.
What is the Impact Player rule by BCCI?
As per the rule, teams can replace a member of their playing XI during a match if they think it’ll be useful. ‘Impact Player’ can be introduced any time before completion of 14th over of either innings.
A team is not required to use impact players during a game. However, if a team intends to introduce one, the captain, head coach, or manager must notify the on-field officials of the introduction of the impact player. The other player cannot play the rest of the game or come in as a substitute fielder after being replaced by an impact player.
The impact player can only replace a player, who hasn’t batted or is yet to bowl more than a single over.
The impact player can bowl his full quota of four overs even if the player he replaced has already bowled one over.
The BCCI has already sent a circular to state associations, as per a report in Indian Express. In the circular, BCCI has underlined that it wants to make the format more attractive and interesting. It wants to teams to make more tactical decisions and change strategies during the match.
If things go right, then we may see this rule being introduced in the cash-rich Indian Premier League. Moreover, it could even be adopted by the world governing body in future.
The rule will further help in making T20s more attractive and interesting: BCCI
“With the ever-growing popularity of T20 cricket, it is imperative that we look at introducing new dimensions which will make this format more attractive and interesting not only for our viewers but also the participating teams from a strategic viewpoint,” the BCCI said in a circular sent to all state associations.
“Teams need to identify playing XI and 4 substitutes at the time of the toss. Out of the 4 substitutes named in the team sheet, only one of the players can be used as an Impact player,” it added. It is also to be noted that no impact player can be brought in in the middle of an over except on one occasion, that is when a player is injured.
