Impact Player rule in IPL explained

Introduced to the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the 2023 season, the Impact Player rule is all set to make a return during IPL 2024.

The basic concept of the Impact Player in the IPL is to allow one substitute player per team to play an active part in matches with bat or ball.

An Impact Player is distinctly different from the regular substitution rule in international cricket which allows a substitute fielder to replace an injured player on the field but they cannot bat or bowl in the match.

Though concussion subs in international cricket can bat and bowl, it’s an injury-forced substitution rather than a tactical one like the Impact Player rule.

Here’s a closer look at the IPL’s Impact Player rule.

What is Impact Player in IPL

The Impact Player rule in the IPL allows teams to name five substitute players in addition to their playing XI before a match.

After the match starts, captains of both teams can nominate any one of these five substitutes to replace one of the players in the starting XI during any of the natural breaks of the match. These include the start of an innings, at the end of an over, at the fall of a wicket or when a batter retires.

But if a bowling side brings on an Impact Player after the fall of a wicket or in the event of a batter retiring in the middle of an over, the incoming substitute cannot bowl the remaining balls of that over.

However, the Impact Player can bowl his full quota of four overs irrespective of how many overs the player he is replacing has bowled before getting substituted.

The player in the starting XI who is replaced by the Impact Player can play no further part in the match. A team is allowed a maximum of one Impact Player substitute in a match.

There’s one caveat, however. If a team has named the maximum-allowed four overseas players in their starting XI, they can only bring on an Indian as their Impact Player. In case a team has named three or fewer overseas players in their starting XI, they can bring on another foreign recruit from the substitutes’ list as the Impact Player.

Who was the first Impact Player in the IPL

On March 31, 2023, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) youngster Tushar Deshpande became the first Impact Player in IPL history after replacing Ambati Rayudu in the IPL 2023 season-opener against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Frequent use of Impact Players in IPL 2023 also showcased the team’s willingness to adapt the rule into a tactical advantage for themselves in matches. CSK, the eventual champions, made good use of the rule.

Kolkata Knight Riders’ Venkatesh Iyer and Rajasthan Royals’ Dhruv Jurel also shone as Impact Players in IPL 2023.

The rule opens up an array of strategic options and tactical possibilities for teams to exploit and has added a new dimension to the IPL as a whole. The Impact Player rule, however, is still in its nascent stages and only time will tell if teams want to keep using it.