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Since its introduction in the IPL 2023 season, the Impact Player rule has been a major point of debate within the Indian cricket community. This rule allows teams to substitute a 12th player for one of the XI after the toss, aiming to provide more opportunities for Indian players, particularly those uncapped, who often struggle to secure a spot in the playing XI. Despite its intent, the rule has yet to fully achieve this goal.

Earlier this year, Indian captain Rohit Sharma voiced his concerns about the Impact Player rule, arguing that it impedes player development. He admitted to not being fond of the rule and pointed out that it has negatively impacted several Indian allrounders, including Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube.

“I generally feel that it is going to hold back [development of allrounders] because eventually cricket is played by 11 players, not 12 players,” Rohit had said on the Club Prairie Podcast. “I’m not a big fan of impact player,” he had added.

Rohit Sharma wasn’t alone in his criticism of the Impact Player rule. Other Indian players, including Mohammed Siraj, Axar Patel, and Mukesh Kumar, have also voiced their opposition and called for the rule to be abolished.

Impact Player rule to stay

As the Impact Player rule drew criticism for its unintended consequences, it became a major discussion point in the recent meeting between the BCCI and IPL franchise owners. There were widespread calls to abolish the rule. Despite this, RevSportz has reported that the BCCI has chosen to retain the rule for now and will not be scrapping it.

A key factor behind the BCCI’s decision to keep the Impact Player rule might be the stance of the broadcasters. Despite calls from players, coaches, and some franchise owners to abolish the rule, the broadcasters, who have invested over INR 45,000 crore in the league, reportedly pushed for its continuation.