What is Impact Player Rule in IPL: BCCI introduced the Impact Player Rule in the IPL 2023 season and brought up a major change in the IPL rules history.
The rule was implemented in the 2023 Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy and later was introduced in the IPL 2023 season. The fever for IPL 2024 gets hyped right after teams announce their squad for IPL 2024.
As per the IPL 2024 Schedule, the defending champions Chennai Super Kings(CSK) will play the opening game of the tournament(going by history).
What is Impact Player Rule in IPL?
The Impact Player rule in IPL allows the teams to bring in a substitute player midway through the game where teams can make adjustments to changing conditions/playing conditions and can replace the non-performing player.
- Each team can name 4 substitutes alongside their playing XI
- All teams should announce their four substitutes besides their Playing XI before the first ball of the match is bowled.
- Among those four, one can be called upon to replace any player in the Playing XI
- Unlike the concussion substitute or the ‘Super Sub’(explained below), the Impact Player can bowl and bat. In simple words, the IPL Impact Player Rule allows a bowler to replace a batter or an all-rounder.
- The change however can only be made before the 14th over of the innings.
- Teams should not exceed their limit of 4-overseas players in the XI.
- In case a player retires hurt, Impact Player can be introduced only at the end of the over in progress and is eligible to bat. In any situation, only 11 players can bat.
- Impact Player can only be an Indian player unless there are less than 4 overseas players in the Playing XI.
- Only an overseas player who is part of 4 substitutes named in the team sheet can be used as an Impact Player. If a team introduces an overseas player as an Impact Player in a match, in no circumstance can a 5th overseas player take the field.
- Teams need to pick 4 substitutes along with the playing X1 during toss time & out of 4, only one can be used as an impact player.
- The captain will nominate the Impact Player
- Impact Player can be introduced before the start of the innings, or after the completion of the over, or after the fall of a wicket or after the batter retires anytime during the over.
- A Player who is replaced by an Impact Player (“Replaced Player”) can no longer take part in the remainder of the match and is also not permitted to return as a substitute fielder.
- The BCCI confirms that an Impact Player cannot act as a captain.
- An Impact Player can come in place of a retired batter who will be allowed to come later if need be.
- Both teams are allowed to use one Impact Player per match. It is, however, not compulsory. It is up to teams whether they want to use the Impact Player or not.
- If a player gets injured while fielding mid-over, he can no longer take part in the match if the team introduces Impact Player to replace him.
- In case of an injury to the impact player during the match, a substitute fielder is allowed to field in place of an injured player only if umpires are satisfied.
- The substitute shall not bowl or act as captain.
- Penalty time for the batting and fielding teams will apply to the player off the field for the substitute as per the playing conditions.
- The move isn’t mandatory.
What is Supersub System?
In the Supersub system that was in place in ODIs in 2005 and 2006, the substitute’s role coincided with that of the player he replaced, which meant he could not bat if the original player was already dismissed, and could only bowl the remaining overs from the replaced player’s quota.
The X-Factor rule, tried – and ditched – in the BBL in Australia, allowed teams to substitute a member of their starting XI at the halfway point (ten-over mark in a full game) of the first innings, if the player replaced hadn’t already batted or bowled more than one over.
