Ajinkya Rahane
Rahane questions Impact Player rule’s relevance
And I think the guidelines or the rules, they have it till 2027.
Speaking to Cricbuzz, the former Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals captain said there was little benefit in continuing the rule, which allows teams to substitute a player during a match. “I think it should be taken out,” Rahane, who has led Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals in the league, told Cricbuzz. “I remember last year, before the IPL captains’ meeting, most of the captains said they don’t want the impact player rule.
The debate over the Impact Player rule in the Indian Premier League continues to intensify, with former India cricketer Ajinkya Rahane becoming the latest to call for its removal. Rahane believes the rule has outlived its purpose and is hampering the development of all-rounders in Indian cricket. 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,” he added. Hardik Pandya ‘s absence from the Indian team has often found the Indian team searching for cover-ups, and although Shivam Dube and Nitish Reddy have turned up, they are still far from Hardik’s capabilities. Moreover, there seem to be not many all-rounders in the pipeline, especially the fast-bowling all-rounders, which has been a rarity now in Indian cricket. “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.