BCCI to eliminate 'Impact Player' rule from IPL? Board to have big discussions with Franchise Owners

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will meet with Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise owners to discuss team retentions and other topics regarding the mega auction. The 'Impact Player' rule will be a key point of discussion between the BCCI and IPL franchise owners on Wednesday evening, July 31.

The BCCI introduced the Impact Player rule in last year's IPL season. The Impact Player rule allows teams to substitute a player, either a bowler or a batter, during the match. It helped the teams adopt a more aggressive batting style. The IPL 2024 witnessed more 200-run scores, including eight 250-plus scores.

The SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) set a record for the highest team score in IPL history with 287/3 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Many players, captains, and coaches expressed that the Impact Player rule led to a lack of all-rounders in the playing XI as teams can pick an extra player in the lineup.

BCCI To Discuss "Impact Player" Rule - Report

According to Cricbuzz, the BCCI and IPL franchise owners are scheduled to meet on July 31 at 7:30 pm in the BCCI office on the fourth floor of the Wankhede Stadium Complex. According to a one-page, five-point agenda shared with the franchise owners, the BCCI will discuss the 'Impact Player Rule' in the meeting.

The franchises and coaching community are opposing the Impact Player rule, while broadcasters support its continuation. Franchise owners are against that rule as it may hinder the development of all-rounders in the country. Broadcasters have invested over Rs 48,000 crore in the Indian Premier League.

The report further added that the BCCI is considering removing the Impact Player rule from domestic cricket, particularly from the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 competition. Notably, the BCCI trailed the rule in the T20 competition. The BCCI is reassessing the rule, with a final decision expected in the coming days.

Here is the list of points to be discussed during the meeting:

ITEM NO. 1: Discussion on IPL Player Regulations including:

A. Players Retention / Right to Match

B. Salary Cap (Auction Purse, Incremental Performance Pay & Match Fee)

C. Big Auction

D. Capped to uncapped players

E. Player Trade / Player Loan

The IPL franchise and BCCI are considering annual increments for high-performing players but are not discussing extending the auction cycle from three to five years. The agenda includes these topics along with other unspecified items.

ITEM NO. 2: Overseas Players

ITEM NO. 3: Discussion on the Impact Player Rule

ITEM NO. 4: IPL Gaming rights

ITEM NO. 5: Discussion on IPL Central Merchandising

ITEM NO. 6: To consider any other business matters related to the IPL.

Gujarat Titans (GT) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) joined the IPL in 2022. Gujarat Titans won the title by defeating Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2024 final. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) won the IPL 2024 title by beating SunRisers Hyderabad by eight wickets at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

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