Rohit Sharma openly criticizes the ‘Impact Player’ rule. BCCI responds to the criticism.

Rohit Sharma has openly criticized the “Impact Player” rule, expressing that he is not a big fan of it due to its flaws. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced its readiness to review the rule after the ongoing IPL season. The rule was first implemented in the 2022-23 Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament before being introduced in the IPL. There has been widespread expert opinion against the rule, prompting the BCCI to consider a review.

Rohit Sharma, who plays for Mumbai Indians in the IPL, believes that the impact player rule undermines the role of all-rounders in the game. He expressed concern that it could potentially impact the dynamics of the game as cricket is played by 11 players, not 12. The rule offers an extra player, which could affect the balance of the teams and impact the entertainment value of the game. The impact player rule allows teams to bring on an additional player based on the game situation, which Rohit Sharma argues may hinder the role of all-rounders.

He highlighted that this may lead to a situation where teams may not require extra batters and could result in an excess of bowlers in the team if teams are batting well at the top order. The BCCI has acknowledged the mixed reactions to the rule and stated its openness to discussing the matter once the ongoing season concludes. They emphasized the need to consider the pros and cons of the rule and suggested that nothing is set in stone about its implementation.