Impact Player Rule In IPL 2023 : All You Need To Know

Impact Player Rule In IPL 2023 : All You Need To Know

The impact player rule in IPL 2023 means that one player from the team’s starting XI can be replaced at any point during the match. The new player can bat and bowl his full quota of overs then. However, a total of 11 batters can only bat in the innings.

The innovation was introduced in the tournament by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to make the proceedings interesting. The impact player rule was trialled at the previous edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, India’s domestic tournament in the shortest format of the game. The set of rules was different to using the Impact player then.

The teams are asked to name five substitute players after the toss and only among them an impact player can be used. Each team in the IPL has around 18 to 24 players and among them, 16 players, the including the playing XI, have to be named. The rest of the players cannot be included as an impact player if they are not named in the list of substitutes.

When can the Impact player be introduced in a game?

The Impact player can be introduced at any point in time during the match in the IPL. The impact player can be brought in before the start of the innings, at the end of an over, at the fall of a wicket or when the batter decides to retire.

Interestingly, when it comes to the bowler if he comes in as an impact player in the middle of an over, then he will not be allowed to complete the over. The impact player, in this case, can bowl only the next over at the earliest.

When can the impact player be non-Indian and overseas?

If a team names four overseas players in their playing XI, then they will not be allowed to play an overseas cricketer as an impact player. This has been done to limit the number of overseas players to four, the rule that has stayed put in the IPL since 2008, its inception.

However, if a team has three or fewer overseas players in their playing XI, then they will be allowed to introduce a foreign cricketer as an impact player. Having said that, the impact overseas player will have to be among the five substitutes named at the toss.

What happens to the player replaced by the impact player?

The player who has been replaced by the impact player will not be allowed to play any further role in the match. The said player cannot even come on the field as a substitute fielder once he is replaced in the game.

Can the impact player be substituted in case of concussion?

Yes. The team will be allowed to bring in a concussion substitute in case the impact player suffers a concussion. However, in this case, according to the rules, only a like-for-like replacement will be allowed for the player.

What role can the player who is replaced play in the game?

The player who is replaced in the game cannot play any further role in the match. He cannot even be allowed to return to the field as the substitute player in case any other player is injured or needs rest.

How does the impact player rule work for the batting and the bowling team?

The batting team can introduce an impact player while batting first if they experience a collapse and feel the need for an extra batter in the line-up. In this case, one of the lower-order players, say a number 11 batter, will not bat. If a team is chasing, then it is extremely simple. They can replace the bowler who has the least credentials with the bat with an impact player who is a batter and enjoy the luxury of an extra batting option.

When a bowling team brings in an impact player, he will be allowed to bowl his quota of four overs. For example, if a team has used four overs of their bowler in the powerplay itself, then they can introduce one more bowler as an impact player and he can also bowl his quota of four overs.