The IPL 2024 season will see a big shift that will let bowlers unleash two bouncers every over in an effort to level the playing field between bat and ball. The goal of this modification is to give the game more balance. It was tested during the most recent 2023–24 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, India’s domestic T20 competition. Now, even if a bouncer has already been bowled, bowlers can use a second one in the same over.
Although this alteration has long been resisted due to safety concerns, it is now set to be implemented as a result of successful trial runs and repeated recommendations. This change has been praised by Saurashtra’s veteran player, Jaydev Unadkat, who has played for several different IPL clubs. Unadkat stated that he was in favor of the change.
He has set his base price at INR 50 lakh for the forthcoming IPL 2024 auction.
“It is my belief that having two bouncers in an over is highly beneficial and provides the bowler with an extra edge over hitters. The bowler will have an additional tool in their arsenal if they are weak against bouncers and will need to improve. Therefore, I think it’s a very tiny alteration with a big impact, and I think that rule is really significant as a bowler,” Unadkat stated, according to ESPNcricinfo.
The impact player rule is maintained.
The Impact Player Rule, which debuted in the 2023 Indian Premier League, will also remain a feature of the competition. Teams must name four substitutes during the toss in addition to their playing XI, according to this rule. One replacement can be named the Impact Player among these. A tenet maintained since the league’s founding, the rule restricts foreign players to a maximum of four in the starting lineup.
The Impact Player rule, which slightly altered team strategy, has had a significant impact on all-rounders’ role and value. Due to changing dynamics in squad makeup, players with dual talents like Venkatesh Iyer, Vijay Shankar, and Shivam Dube were mostly used as batsmen in the previous season.