Follow UsThere have been many critics of the impact sub rule. The common consensus is that it eliminates the job of an all-rounder, as you can draft in an out-and-out bowler or batter depending on the situation.
However, South Africa pacer Kagiso Rabada feels that the impact rule is more of a lifeline for teams, eliminating the challenge of selecting balanced teams.
"I think the Impact Player rule feels like a lifeline for teams. And when it comes to selecting a balanced team, I think that's where it eliminates that challenge. It's more like a lifeline. It does make things a bit interesting, but it takes away the gamesmanship of selecting a balanced team," Rabada said in a chat with Times of India.
Rabada was bought by the Gujarat Titans (GT) for INR 10.75 crore at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction. The tournament has not started off smoothly for him as he has managed just two wickets in as many games, and has conceded at over 10 an over. His team has made a shaky start to the tournament as well, having won one of their two games.
They take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) next on April 2 (Wednesday) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, where the bowlers are known to struggle. We saw plenty of 250+ scores in the IPL last season, and Rabada sees no point in such games where there is no balance between bat and ball.
"If wickets become too flat, then you might as well not call it cricket. You could just call it batting. 'Let's go play a game of batting, guys.' It can't get too flat. What's the point? It becomes way too generic. I don't mind higher-scoring games. You need those in cricket. But if conditions are too flat too often, then what's the fun in that? There's no point," he said.
Speaking of yorkers, one of the deadliest deliveries in cricket, Rabada feels that there is no guarantee that a bowler could get the reward with such deliveries as even the tailenders have started hitting sixes on a regular basis. "It's a higher-risk, higher-reward situation," the pacer said.
"That's how you measure it. But you have to be daring to do it. Like, talking about levelling the playing field, I think nowadays, anyone can hit a six. Even a number nine or number 10 can hit a six. Never mind a number six batting in the 16th or 17th over. There are so many stats: this guy does this, and this guy does that. There's no real mystery in the game anymore.
"I guess that's where you don't really want to get too much of that. It's difficult. But if it wasn't difficult, then it would be boring. So it's good that it's difficult."