Bengaluru: Mike Hesson, the director of Cricket Operations at the Royal Challengers Bangalore, said he liked the Impact Player rule which will be introduced from IPL 2023, adding that he thought the rule brings a little bit of intrigue to the tournament.
As per the Impact Player rule, all ten teams need to identify five substitutes who are Indian players apart from the playing eleven during toss time. Out of the substitutes named, only one player can be used as an Impact Player.
A team can bring an impact player before the start of the innings or after the completion of an over. In the case of a batter, the change can be done at the fall of the wicket or the batter retiring at any time during the over.
“I think we heard about the Impact Player before the auction so obviously, we looked at it and thought about how can we maximise it. Potential for the all-rounder to play a big part. So actually there is some strategy involved in it.”
“I quite like it I actually thought it brought a little intrigue. You could introduce the player anytime. So whether the batter is being dismissed or not. It was a nice development,” said Hesson in a video posted by the franchise on their social media handles on Saturday.
Moreover, the bowling side can also bring in an Impact Player during the fall of a wicket, but he will not be permitted to bowl the remaining balls in the over if the wicket has fallen mid-over.
Hesson also feels having two different team sheets at the toss, depending on what the outcome is, has negated the Impact Player rule to some extent. “It’s a substitute rule. So you name at the toss whether you have a batting eleven which will obviously be stronger.”
“And if you bat first you will swap out a batter and bring in an extra bowler so vice versa and the other way around. So after the toss, you give them your batting 11 and bowling 11. So it’s not an impact rule now it’s a substitute rule.”
In IPL 2023, teams can also review wides and no-balls, which Hesson thinks is a good rule. “It is already being used in WPL I think the more people become used to it The more instinctively they will look to challenge I think it’s a good rule. I guess what you don’t want is (for it to) be the umpire’s decision to be the highlight of the game.”
“It removes that (dilemma) of whether it’s a waist-high no ball or whether it’s called a wide when flicked pads or vice versa actually. All the players and spectators want is as many decisions right as possible to take a bit of pressure off the umpire which I think is a good thing.”
IPL 2023 also has an interesting rule of only 4 fielders being allowed outside 30 yards if the team failed to bowl overs in the allocated time, something which Hesson welcomed. “So if you don’t complete your 19th over by the time you have to bring an extra fielder inside the circle.”
“That rule has been in place in other tournaments around the world and will be here for the first time in the IPL. There won’t be as many discussions between the batter and the bowler. It is a good rule.”
Royal Challengers Bangalore will open their IPL 2023 campaign against five-time champions Mumbai Indians at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on April 2.
–IANS