A NEW MAUL GAME

Batters are mauling bowlers this IPL like never before, as the impact player rule effectively gives every team 12 players. Where is it taking the game?

- VISHAL MENON

Rajasthan Royals' (RR's) victory over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) was a one-man show. That one man, Jos Buttler, who scored an unbeaten 107 to take RR to victory was not supposed to be playing. He had still not fully recovered from the injury that kept him out of RR's previous game.

"For a moment, imagine there was no impact sub. Buttler would either not have played, or may not have had the energy to carry out this heist given how exhausted he was at the end. So, what do you think of the impact sub?" commentator Harsha Bhogle posted on X.

That question Bhogle asked has divided opinion.

"I am not a big fan of the Impact sub rule. It is going to hold all-rounders back... Eventually cricket is played by 11 players, not 12," Team India captain Rohit Sharma said on the Club Prairie Fire podcast.

On the other hand, former India opener Virender Sehwag termed the latest rule tweak a "welcome addition that gives more opportunities to Indian players to showcase their talents".

Bat mauls ball

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has evolved rapidly since its advent in 2008. So has the game of cricket.

Bats have gained more heft and hitting sixes is now considered way cooler than the cover drive. Five-day Tests and 50-overs-a-side formats continue to have fans, but the game's administrators are increasingly seduced by cricket's diet version-the T20s- for its commercial attractions.

T20 leagues and franchises have mushroomed across the globe, with the IPL being the biggest, riche: glitziest of the lot. Combining entertainment with glamour and star power, its popularity as well as brand value have soared. It is now a decacorn a privately held company with a valuation exceeding $10 billion.

But someone somewhere wanted more.