Shillong: The Board of Control for Cricket in India is weighing the end of the Impact Player rule. The regulation, which allows teams to swap in a substitute, might vanish before the 2027 season. It changed the game in 2023. Teams used it to plug holes in their lineups.
Critics say the rule ruins the balance between bat and ball. It specifically hurts the growth of all-rounders. Teams now lean on specialist batters to push scores higher. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are leading the push against the change. Rohit noted the tradition of the sport on the Club Prairie Podcast, saying, "I generally feel that it is going to hold back the development of all-rounders because you know, eventually, cricket is played by 11 players, not 12 players."
Kohli agrees with this assessment. He pointed to the lopsided advantage batters now hold. The BCCI gathered feedback from all 10 franchises by August 31. Secretary Devajit Saikia previously confirmed the board would review the system. They plan to discuss the future with the teams and the broadcaster. Officials must weigh tactical variety against the loss of the traditional 11-man format. The rule remains for now, but its future stays uncertain.
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