Rohit Sharma opposes Impact Player Rule, Virat Kohli's friend AB de Villiers opposes Rohit Sharma

Former South African cricketer AB de Villiers shared his perspective on the 'Impact Player' rule in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. AB de Villiers acknowledged the dominance of batters in the ongoing T20 tournament, given the incredibly good wickets.

The Impact Player rule, introduced in the previous season of the IPL, allows teams to designate a 12th player from a list of five substitutes named at the toss. The player can replace any player at any point during the match and can contribute either as a bowler or a batter.

The Impact Player rule has faced scrutiny in the IPL 2024. Many players have expressed concerns about its impact. Notably, all-rounders have reduced their bowling with the option of an extra bowler. The rule has contributed to teams posting all-time high totals in the season.

Mumbai Indians (MI) batter Rohit Sharma recently stated that he is not a big fan of the Impact player rule on the Club Prairie Fire podcast. The Indian skipper mentioned that all-rounders like Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube stopped bowling in an IPL match due to this rule.

The Batter's Game At The Moment - AB de Villiers

In a video on his YouTube channel, AB de Villiers stated that he was excited when the Impact Player rule was introduced. He mentioned that it's too early for him to assess the rule's impact.

"It is the batter's game at the moment. They are having a feast and it doesn't help that the wickets have been incredibly good at the IPL. I was excited when it was introduced. It's too early for me to call it but I personally don't see too much harm to it," De Villiers said.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) collectively scored 549 runs in the ongoing season. It marked the highest match aggregate in the shorter format, surpassing the previous record of 523 runs set in the SRH-MI game.

Not A Huge Fans Of The Impace Player Rule - Axar Patel

Delhi Capitals (DC) spinner Axar Patel admitted to not being a huge fan of the Impact Player rule ahead of their match against the Gujarat Titans (GT). Patel stated that the rule made it very difficult for bowlers.

"I am not a huge fan of the Impact Player rule. Whoever is making the rules is thinking that only batting will decide where the game would go (smiles). It has obviously become very difficult for bowlers. But the way I see it is, there's pressure but there's also opportunity to do well in such situations and using your skills," Patel said.

The Impact Player rule has provided opportunities for young players like Nehal Wadhera, Dhruv Jurel, and Ashutosh Sharma to shine in the IPL. While it may benefit IPL teams, it could have negative consequences for Indian cricket by diminishing the significance of all-rounders over time.

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