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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to introduce the ‘Impact Player’ - a tactical substitution in the upcoming 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League. The BCCI has already implemented the rule in the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy which Mumbai won.
The rule allows a team to make a tactical substitution during each match. The IPL governing body had a virtual meeting on Thursday and where they agreed to introduce the Impact Player concept. The Impact Player move has received a positive response from domestic coaches and players.
The BCCI released a statement to the state units earlier this year addressing this innovation. The statement said, “With the ever-growing popularity of T20 cricket, it is imperative that we look at introducing new dimensions which will make this format more attractive and interesting not only for our viewers but also the participating teams from a strategic viewpoint.”
“The BCCI would like to introduce the concept of ‘Impact Player’ wherein participating teams could replace one member of its playing XI during a T20 match based on the context of the game,” the statement further added.
Delhi all-rounder Hrithik Shokeen was the first Impact Player who was subbed on against Manipur in a group league match in Jaipur in October. Shokeen was brought into the playing XI in the second innings where bowled three overs and picked two wickets while giving away 13 runs as he helped Delhi register a 71 run-win over Manipur.
A similar rule is a part of the Big Bash League (BBL) in Australia. The rule is called the X-Factor, which allows teams to substitute a member of their playing XI at the 10-over mark - in a full T20 game - of the first innings. The rule also states that the player replaced cannot have already batted, or bowled more than one over.