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The TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 ended months ago, and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the IPL Governing Council held a meeting today, in which they discussed several things, one of which was the Impact Player rule. It has been a concern for several teams, and players have also raised their voices against it.
Every former cricketer and current player who is or was part of the tournament believes that the rule has made life even harder for bowlers in a format already dominated by batters. The all-rounder system has completely vanished from the league, and teams do not play an all-rounder despite being available, as they play a specialist batter or a bowler.
BCCI to discuss Impact Player rule
As per a report from the Times of India, there was a virtual meeting between the BCCI and the IPL Governing Council, as the Governing Council will discuss the Impact Player rule next month. All the IPL franchises have submitted their respective feedback on the controversial rule, which will now be reviewed. This is a big decision that will be looked into after recent backlash.
The meeting was virtual! https://t.co/HDVKwt0REp
— Gaurav Gupta (@toi_gauravG) September 15, 2026
BCCI has been discussing the Impact Player rule, as it asked for feedback from the franchises, with the deadline set for 31st August 2026. It also included PMOA matters, umpiring, practice sessions, and playing conditions. Now, with all the teams submitting their feedback, the BCCI and the governing council of the tournament will be in serious discussion about whether to scrap the rule or not.
“As discussed in the IPL 2026 Captains’ Meeting, it was agreed that feedback would be collected from all franchises at the conclusion of the tournament on key cricket operations matters. Accordingly, we request you to discuss the following areas with your Cricket Operations teams and share your consolidated feedback with us,” the BCCI/IPL mail notes.
Cricketers want Impact Player to be removed
Cricketers such as Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel and Shubman Gill have openly opposed the idea. Apart from them, former cricketers like Suresh Raina and Sachin Tendulkar stated that the extra batting option puts too much pressure on bowlers and inflates team scores to record levels, as the game has now already shifted towards the batters.
Harbhajan Singh urged cricket boards to scrap the rule entirely to make the game fair for bowlers again. Former England all-rounder Moeen Ali explained in a report that this rule makes batters lose their adaptability and traditional skills in tough conditions. Other than them, there are several other cricketers and commentators as well who have criticised the rule.
Why is the IPL Impact Player hurting the Indian team?
Due to the Impact Player rule, several all-rounders, especially Indians who are pace-bowling all-rounders or even spin-bowling all-rounders, do not get enough chances to bowl or to bat.
Thus, there has been a problem in the India National Cricket Team, as they find it difficult to find good all-rounders who can bowl some overs and are clinical as well. So the players also voiced concern for the same reason.
