Former India cricketer Ajinkya Rahane has called for the Indian Premier League (IPL) to abolish its Impact Player rule, joining growing opposition to a system that has transformed team selection and reduced opportunities for all-rounders.
Introduced in 2023, the rule allows franchises to substitute a player during a match, giving teams greater flexibility to deploy specialist batters and bowlers. While it has contributed to a more aggressive batting environment, its implications for player development have become an increasingly prominent issue.
Rahane, who has captained Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals, made his position clear in an interaction with Cricbuzz: “I think it should be taken out.”
IPL captains question the rule’s future
The debate comes as uncertainty surrounds the rule’s continuation beyond its existing regulatory timeline. Rahane indicated that opposition was already widespread among franchise captains before their meeting last year.
He explained: “I remember last year, before the IPL captains’ meeting, most of the captains said they don’t want the impact player rule. And I think the guidelines or the rules, they have it till 2027. So we don’t know if this year they will take it out or after this year (when) the big auction is coming up, in that they will take it out. But ideally, I feel there is no point or use in having an impact rule.”
The IPL introduced the substitution mechanism to create additional tactical options and enhance the tournament’s entertainment value. However, its continued use has changed how franchises distribute responsibilities within their playing combinations.
Rather than depending on players capable of contributing in multiple disciplines, teams can now strengthen their batting or bowling resources through a specialist substitution.
Bowling opportunities for all-rounders continue to shrink
The changing role of all-rounders is reflected in a sustained decline in the number of overs delivered by players batting in the top seven.
Before the Impact Player rule was introduced, those players bowled an average of approximately 8.3 overs per match across both teams between 2018 and 2022. That figure declined to seven overs in 2023, 6.3 in 2024 and 5.4 in 2025.
An analysis covering the first 56 matches of IPL 2026 showed a further reduction to just 4.2 overs per match.
The shift is also evident in the proportion of bowling performed by top-order and middle-order players. In 2022, batters occupying the first seven positions delivered 21% of all overs. In the latest edition, their share had fallen to 10%.
The number of players combining a top-seven batting position with an average of at least two overs per match also dropped from 11 in IPL 2019 to four in IPL 2025.
Rahane linked the trend to a broader concern about India’s ability to develop multi-skilled cricketers. He added: “All-rounders are going out of the game, especially in the IPL. And I am a firm believer that you’ve got to develop your all-rounders.”
“From the Indian team’s point of view, all-rounders are really important. So the impact player rule should be taken out.”
Specialist selections reshape player development
Individual examples illustrate how the substitution system has altered the opportunities available to players capable of contributing with both bat and ball.
Washington Sundar, traditionally valued for his ability to bowl during the powerplay, delivered only nine overs across 17 matches for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026. His responsibilities increasingly centred on batting, including appearances at No. 4.
Mumbai Indians All-rounder Naman Dhir has bowled just 8.4 overs across his IPL career, despite returning figures of 3/31 on his T20I debut against West Indies. Speaking after that match in Lucknow, Dhir attributed his limited bowling opportunities in the IPL to the Impact Player rule.
India All-rounder Hardik Pandya has previously highlighted the selection difficulties facing players who are not equally accomplished in both disciplines.
Speaking after Gujarat Titans’ IPL 2023 season opener against Chennai Super Kings in Ahmedabad, Pandya observed: “It becomes difficult if you are not completely a 50-50 allrounder to find your place.”
India spin-bowling All-rounder Axar Patel, speaking to PTI, also described how the availability of specialist substitutes influences team management decisions, with franchises increasingly able to prioritise dedicated batters or bowlers instead of relying on conventional all-rounders.
Batting advantage changes the IPL’s competitive balance
Alongside its influence on selection, the Impact Player rule has coincided with a substantial increase in IPL scoring.
The tournament’s overall scoring rate climbed from 8.54 runs per over in 2022 to 9.88 in 2026. During the same period, the number of innings exceeding 200 runs rose from 18 to 65.
The presence of an additional batting option has allowed teams to approach innings with greater aggression, knowing that their batting resources can extend further down the order.
Rahane questioned whether that flexibility has shifted the contest too heavily in favour of batters. He explained: “See, why I feel we should take it out is because last year, I don’t want to take any team’s name, but a few teams were probably at 90/7, 100/7, and they ended up getting 200 because of that one impact (rule), one extra batter with that. So, I feel (we should) give some advantage to bowlers, and also all-rounders should be involved in the games thoroughly. They should take it out.”
The scoring increase cannot be attributed exclusively to the substitution system. Changes in pitch conditions and the increasingly aggressive approach of modern T20 batters have also contributed to the tournament’s higher totals.
During IPL 2024, Virat Kohli raised concerns about the additional batting depth created by the rule while speaking on JioCinema. The India Batter drew attention to how the availability of another batter at No. 8 affected the contest and emphasised the importance of maintaining competitive balance between batting and bowling.
Opposition extends beyond Rahane
Rahane is not the first prominent Indian cricketer to question the substitution mechanism.
Former India Captain Rohit Sharma previously criticised the system during an appearance on the Club Prairie Fire podcast, arguing: “Cricket is played by 11 players, not 12 players.”
Sharma, who captained Mumbai Indians to five IPL titles, had also identified Shivam Dube and Washington Sundar as examples of players whose bowling development could be affected by reduced opportunities.
The concerns extend beyond individual IPL performances to the national team’s requirements, particularly the availability of cricketers capable of providing meaningful contributions in both disciplines.
With the existing framework extending to 2027 and another major auction approaching, the timing of any potential change remains unresolved. Rahane’s latest intervention adds to an established debate over whether the IPL should retain the tactical flexibility of the Impact Player rule or return to a system that places greater responsibility on the original playing eleven.
