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Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra recently weighed in on the impact player rule as the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 approaches. He believes that despite the introduction of this rule, top-tier all-rounders will remain valuable. Chopra pointed to Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, and Ravindra Jadeja as examples of players who will continue to excel, suggesting that the rule maintains a certain benchmark for performance.
The impact player rule has become a hot topic as IPL 2025 nears, with speculation swirling about its potential removal due to widespread player concerns. Prominent figures like Rohit Sharma, a stalwart of Indian cricket, have voiced opposition, arguing that the rule could undermine the significance of genuine all-rounders. They cite Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube as examples of players who might be affected.
The BCCI and IPL franchises have recently convened to discuss the rule, with the governing body indicating that further talks with the IPL governing council will be necessary before finalizing their decision for the upcoming season.
In a video on his YouTube channel, Chopra emphasized that skilled all-rounders will continue to thrive despite the impact player rule. He stressed that a player’s proficiency remains crucial, and the presence of the rule will not diminish the value of those with genuine all-round capabilities.
“But what they say on their side is that the good all-rounders are still doing all-rounder’s work. Who’s saying that all-rounders don’t work? I’ll tell you one thing. Because, look at Hardik Pandya, he does batting as well as bowling. Look at Ravindra Jadeja, he does batting as well as bowling. Look at Axar Patel, he does batting as well as bowling. Look at Andre Russell, he does batting as well as bowling. If he’s getting a chance to do it. See, there’s a distinction here.
“The weak all-rounder who doesn’t have that much ability is not a good all-rounder. But, generally, if the standard is getting low, you give him some overs. That’s not going to happen. And it’s not like if you have a better batting option and you still say that a bowler should do batting. But, if you have that skill that Axar has, that Jaddu has, that Hardik has, that Andre Russell has, or that Sunil Narine has, nothing has changed.”
For good all-rounders, there’s no difference from the rules of an impact player – Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra added that players such as Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, and Ravindra Jadeja will remain unaffected by the impact player rule. He supported his point by noting that their exceptional skills ensure their continued relevance and value in the game.
“For them, there’s no difference from the rules of the impact player. Now, the story in this impact player is that if you get a mediocre all-rounder to play a game or if someone gets a little more batting, then that mediocrity emerges. If we start rewarding that, then as soon as he reaches the international level, he’ll be found out.
“The runs won’t be made by him and he would get bashed while bowling. You think you’ll be able to finish, You won’t be able to. See, there’s a balance on both sides. One is your batter, the bowler who can bat a little. He’s coming to bat. Then, the batter who can bowl a little is going to bowl an over. So, generally, the standard brings down. You pull it down. And the illusionary, the mediocrity all-rounders are going to flourish. In the long term there is no benefit to Indian cricket,” he concluded.
