TRENDS ANALYSIS
Follow UsFor the longest time, cricket was viewed as a game of eleven vs eleven. But it is no more the case with the introduction of the Impact Player Rule in the 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League. What the rule has allowed is for teams to feature 12 players, and use them accordingly as per the situation.
Teams batting first have opted to include an extra batter in the playing XI before substituting him for an extra bowler, and vice-versa. But the big question is, has it really helped the teams?
If yes, how have the teams used it, and which team has used it well according to the changing demand of a particular encounter? Or is it all a mere gimmick?
What have the teams preferred?
It is an interesting conundrum that the teams have gone through during the course of the tournament. Here is the general approach: swap a bowler for a batter or vice versa depending on what they are doing. If the teams are batting first, they have tended to bring in a bowling option in the second innings at the expense of a batter.
But on very few occasions have teams used the rule to arrest a collapse in the first innings, notably Anuj Rawat (RCB), Krishnappa Gowtham (LSG), Washington Sundar (SRH), Riyan Parag (RR) and Anukul Roy (KKR). Four out of those on paper are all-rounders, which has in turn helped the team even in the second innings.
Right now, as things stand (after Match 52), teams have preferred to have a batter more than a bowler as an impact-player. Only on two occasions have teams opted to pick an all-rounder as their impact player - Gowtham and Anukul - and on both occasions that move proved to be fruitful.
Who has the best impact score for an impact player?
Till now, according to Criclytics data, Venkatesh Iyer (KKR) has been the best impact player in this year’s competition. The left-handed batter has been used four times as an impact player, alongside Prabhsimran Singh and Suyash Sharma as the second-joint most used players per the rule in the competition.
In those four clashes, Iyer has a total impact score of +36.7, the most for any player in the competition. Mumbai Indians’ Suryakumar Yadav comes close with a total impact of +23.8. Amongst those who have played four games as an IP, Prabhsimran (+18.3) has an edge over Suyash (+17.5).
If they are joint second, who are the first? That’s an interesting question, and the answer is CSK’s Ambati Rayudu (+1.1) and LSG’s Ayush Badoni (+8.2), both of whom have been used five times as an impact option.
On the other end of the impact spectrum lies CSK’s Tushar Deshpande, who has a sum impact score of -13.2, followed by GT’s Josh Little (-6.3) and RCB’s Karn Sharma (-5.7).
What are some of the best uses of impact player rule?
MI and RCB have perhaps used the Impact Player rule in the most clever possible way. While Mumbai subbed in a sick Rohit Sharma during the run-chase against Kolkata, Bangalore have used an injured Faf du Plessis just with the bat in a four-game run, while still getting Harshal Patel to bowl. You could perhaps say that it was borderline cheating but that’s how the gray lines of the rule are.
While all the other teams have had a set template, what Kolkata did in their loss against Delhi was a clever example. Understanding the need of the hour, Kolkata subbed in Anukul Roy, whose ability as an all-rounder allowed them to stretch the game. The move didn’t work out but the approach was arguably correct. The franchise did it again in the thriller against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
At 151/7, KKR introduced Anukul as an impact option, and the all-rounder first made an impact with the bat (13 off 7) and later bowled a tight spell where he conceded just 26 runs picking up the crucial wicket of Harry Brook.
Earlier in the season, Lucknow too used the impact player rule wisely when they introduced Gowtham, who struck a one-ball six and bowled an extremely economical spell of 0/23 in his four overs against Delhi on April 1.
How about the other teams?
All teams by now have a set template on how to use the Impact Player rule with the exception of Rajasthan Royals, who are still figuring their feet. Amongst all the ten teams in this year’s competition, Rajasthan have used the most players. Thus far, the Royals have used 10 players, including their latest use of Obed McCoy.
McCoy was brought in as an impact player against the Sunrisers and only bowled the one over. But even then, it was an interesting move from the franchise, considering how they wanted to assess the conditions before taking a call, on whether it would be McCoy or Zampa.
However, barring Dhruv Jurel, whose knock blew the lids against Punjab Kings, none of their other impact players have made any sort of impact on the proceedings. Chennai and Kolkata are the only two teams who have used three impact players thus far in the competition.
What’s the trend because of the rule?
"[But] with the new rule - the extra batter - you just feel like you need more runs…" RCB’s skipper Faf du Plessis said after a close win against Delhi at home.
"You feel like it's maybe 10 or 15 runs you need to get more,” he went on to add.
In fact, several stars, including Faf, and Ruturaj Gaikwad have gone on to stress the fact that the emphasis for the teams batting first is to go hard after the bowling units. The license for the teams batting first is there, given the rule that allows them to field another batter.
After the first 24 matches, the average first innings total in this year’s competition was 183.4. In only one year previously (2020) has the average first innings total been greater. That shows a clear trend in the way the teams batting first have approached setting a target.
But then comes the trade-offs
Not everything that is associated with the Impact Player is hunky-dory. Mike Hesson, RCB’s Director of Cricket minced no words when he disapproved of the new rule.
“Personally, I'm not a big fan of it. I think that it takes the Indian allrounders out of the game, which a lot of our squad have spent time working on. I wouldn't say I'm a traditionalist, but I think there needs to be a good reason for change,” he said in an interview with ESPNCricinfo.
“If you're trying to develop allrounders, some of them don't start as batting at No. 5 and bowling four overs - you have to transition them into that role. I think this has made that a little bit harder,” he added.
Thus far, the rule has diminished the role of all-rounders. Venkatesh Iyer has been very vocal about it and insisted that a team would rather have a ‘specialist’ batter or bowler instead of having multiple all-rounders.
“Honestly, with the coming of the Impact Player rule, the number of overs an all-rounder is bowling has dropped down drastically. Obviously, if a team have a specialist bowler as their sixth bowler, then they don’t want to try their all-rounder,” Venkatesh Iyer echoed a similar thought about the diminishing role of all-rounders.
Who has it affected?
There is a long list of Indian players who could have been potentially identified as a future all-rounders for the country. In no order, there is Venkatesh Iyer himself, who across the last two seasons bowled 12.3 overs. But this season, he is yet to be used by the franchise in the bowling department.
RR’s Riyan Parag too falls under the same category. Parag who was a regular till last year has bowled zero overs this year. It has hurt the chances of developing all-rounders in the IPL.
Tilak Varma, Shahrukh Khan, Mahipal Lomror and Vijay Shankar at some point in the domestic season had a bowl. None of them have had a big opportunity with the ball this season. Tilak has bowled just one over, Mahipal has bowled two and the others are yet to bowl. The discourse doesn’t end there.
What this rule invariably does is discourage a lot of bowlers from developing their batting capabilities. Most of the teams have subbed out one of their bowlers for a batter when it is their turn to bat, and vice-versa. Not only has it been disapproving batters from developing their bowling skill, but it is also indirectly affecting the bowlers’ batting skills.
