RULE IN THEIR FAVOUR

when the Impact Player (IP) rule was introduced in the 2023 India n Premier League, something fundamen tally changed with the way teams operate.

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For starters, there was a predominant need to be proactive as a batter because teams have that extra batter who could potentially come into play. The perfect example is someone like Ruturaj Gaikwad. The Chennai Super Kings opener had a 590-run season at a strike rate of 147.5, but in the 15 innings he batted, Gaikwad had just four fifties. Gaikwad was the enforcer at the top for CSK, coming in and scoring the quickfire 30s — something that is unlike for a batter like him. But he had made peace with it because of the IP rule. “With the impact player rule, you have to make sure you don’t hold yourself back,” he had said.

It is just one side of the cause and effect, and it has remained the same in 2024 as well. however, there is something else that has changed. When the IP rule came into play months before the IPL season, initially, people needed some time to understand how it works. how it fundamentally changes the way the game is played. It is no more a 11 vs 11, but a 12 vs 12. Teams had already been formed and last year, the emphasis was on adding the extra 20-odd runs. While some teams had a consistent use of IP rule for specific players, it was not the case for all. CSK, for example, kept Ambati Rayudu as IP substitute on most occasions while a team like Rajasthan Royals were using Dhruv Jurel as the extra batter in the lower-order because of their long lower-order (read bowlers).