How has the impact rule panned out so far in IPL 2023?

The 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League has some new features, with BCCI implementing new rules before the start of the league. Franchises can now substitute a player during a game, and there is also a time penalty for the bowling team if they take too long to finish their overs. This time penalty means they have to remove one fielder from the outfield in the 20th over, and it’s similar to what has already been used in T20Is and ODIs. Additionally, IPL now has two independent broadcasters for the first time, with Disney Star retaining the television rights and Viacom18 acquiring the digital rights.

What is the Impact Rule in IPL 2023?

In IPL 2023, there is a new rule called the Impact Rule which allows teams to substitute a player during a match. Before the match, the captains can choose five players as substitutes, and any of those five can replace another player during the game. This is different from the concussion substitute rule, where the substitute must be a like-for-like replacement. Indian players can be used as Impact players, but overseas players can only be used if the team hasn’t already picked four overseas players in the starting lineup. The standard IPL rule of using only four overseas players throughout a game still applies.

How have the teams used the impact rule so far?

Rajasthan Royals

Rajasthan Royals have done really well this season with four wins in six games, which puts them in the top position on the points table. They have used five players as impact players – Navdeep Saini, Dhruv Jurel, Murugan Ashwin, Adam Zampa, and Devdutt Padikkal. Saini and Ashwin were not very successful, as they didn’t get any wickets in their games. However, Zampa played an important role by getting one wicket for 43 runs in his first game. Padikkal has also done a great job as an impact player by scoring more than 25 runs in his last two innings. In his debut match as an impact player, Jurel scored 32 runs off just 15 deliveries, and since then, he has been a regular member of the playing 11 in the last four games.

Lucknow Super Giants

Lucknow Super Giants have won four out of six games in the current season and are among the top four teams. They have been judiciously using the impact substitution rule, keeping the playing conditions in mind. The team has so far used Krishnappa Gowtham, Ayush Badoni, and Amit Mishra as impact players. While all three have performed well, Mishra has stood out as the most impressive player.

Chennai Super Kings

Chennai Super Kings are another team with four wins in six games. They have been one of the consistent performers in the tournament, and the same can be said about their use of the impact player rule. Ambati Rayudu has been used thrice by the franchise, while Tushar Deshpande has been used twice. Akash Singh was used in the second-last game by the four-time champions. Deshpande has been the most successful among all three and is the leading wicket-taker for the team.

Gujarat Titans

Gujarat Titans have been one of the three teams who have not used the impact player rule in one of the games so far. Sai Sudharsan, Vijay Shankar, Josh Little, and Noor Ahmad were the four players used as impact players by the defending champions. Little has bowled in four games and has picked three wickets. Noor picked one wicket for 29 runs in his IPL debut. Sudharsan and Shankar has performed equally well for the Titans with the bat thus far. Sudharsan has been the second-highest run-scorer for the team, and Shankar has made over 120 runs in four games at a strike rate of 161.25.

Royal Challengers Bangalore

Royal Challengers Bangalore have won and lost three games each so far in IPL 2023. They didn’t use an impact player in the first game. Anuj Rawat, Karn Sharma, Suyash Prabhudessai, and Vyshak Vijay Kumar have been the impact players so far this season, with Rawat being used twice. Sharma has been the most successful player among all the four as he has taken five wickets in just three games at an average of 21.2, an economy of 10.6, and a strike rate of 12.

Mumbai Indians

Mumbai Indians lost their opening two games this season and returned to winning ways with three back-to-back wins. Jason Behrendorff, Kumar Kartikeya, Tim David, Rohit Sharma, and Riley Meredith have been the five impact players in five games so far. Kartikeya picked one wicket for 24 runs in his only outing this season. Behrendorff and Meredith have delivered a couple of impactful performances with the ball so far. Sharma played in just a single game as an impact player, while David has played in two.

Punjab Kings

Punjab Kings began the season with two victories but have won only one out of their subsequent four games. The team has made use of Rishi Dhawan and Prabhsimran Singh as impact players in two games each, while Rahul Chahar and Sikandar Raza have been the other two players used under this rule. Singh was the standout performer among these players, scoring 46 runs off 30 deliveries in his first match as an impact player. However, none of the other impact players have had any significant impact on the games they were used in.

Kolkata Knight Riders

Kolkata Knight Riders have lost their previous three games after winning two out of the first three matches this season. Despite this inconsistent performance, they have been quite consistent with their choices of impact players. Venkatesh Iyer, Suyash Sharma, and Anukul Roy have been used as the impact players by the team so far. Iyer is the leading run-scorer for the team and has scored a century as well. Suyash has been among the top three wicket-takers for the team. Anukul was used as the impact player in the previous game, and he returned with the figure of two for 19.

Sunrisers Hyderabad

Sunrisers Hyderabad have performed exceptionally well this season but in patches. They lost their first two games, won the next two, and have lost the previous two games. In terms of an impact player, SRH has used Abdul Samad in two games. Fazalhaq Farooqi, Washington Sundar, and Mayank Dagar have been used as impact players in other games. They didn’t use an impact player in a game against Punjab Kings. Like the other teams, SRH have also failed to crack the code for an impact player, and most of their selection have fallen flat.

Delhi Capitals

Delhi Capitals have been the least successful team this season, with just a single win in six games. They lost five games on the trot and achieved success in their previous outing against the Kolkata Knight Riders. They have suffered mediocre batting as well as bowling performance this season, and it will likely be difficult for them to bounce back further in the tournament. Aman Khan, Khaleel Ahmed, Prithvi Shaw, and Mukesh Kumar have been the impact players used by the team so far. Only Mukesh Kumar among these four has been able to deliver an impactful performance this season. Kumar has taken five wickets in five games at an average of 35.2.

Has the impact rule affected selection of all rounders in the team?

The game of T20 cricket has witnessed a significant evolution in recent times. The reigning champions of the T20 World Cup, England, boasted a squad in which even players batting at number eight or nine had the ability to hit the ball out of the park. To secure a victory in a T20 match, teams have been inclined towards selecting all-rounders, who can bat and bowl, in their playing XI. The impact rule has changed the way teams approach their playing 11.

Previously, teams had to choose between a batting-heavy or a bowling-heavy lineup. However, with the impact rule, teams can now adjust their team composition during the match. For example, a team winning the toss and choosing to bowl can have an additional bowler in their playing 11 and then replace them with a batter once their four-over quota is complete. Similarly, a bowler can be substituted for a batter immediately after they have been dismissed. The introduction of the impact player rule has impacted the team’s selection of all-rounders. With the provision of having both a batter and a bowler at the same time in the playing 11, the selection of an all-rounder may only be necessary if they are truly capable of playing both roles proficiently.

Which franchise has seen best results from impact player rule?

The impact rule is still new for the ten teams in IPL 2023, and not all of them have been able to use it perfectly. However, some teams, such as Lucknow Super Giants, Chennai Super Kings, and Kolkata Knight Riders, have figured out how to use the impact player rule. Ayush Badoni and Amit Mishra have played a crucial role for LSG as impact players, while Tushar Deshpande has been the most successful impact player for CSK, taking 10 wickets in six games. KKR has been the most successful team in terms of selecting impact players. Suyash Sharma has been brought in by the team during crucial phases, and he has taken six wickets so far. Venkatesh Iyer might be the most successful impact player this season, having scored a century as well.