Ravi Shastri, a former head coach of India, however, defended the rule and discussed its advantages for the game. After some cricket players and coaches voiced their displeasure during the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, the Impact Player rule has been under review.
Prior to the IPL last year, the Impact Player rule was tested out at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 competition. It was then used in the 2023 Indian Premier League. The first well-known Indian player to protest the regulation was Rohit Sharma, who stated that it will impede the growth of all-round players. Axar Patel, Mitchell Starc, and Mukesh Kumar are among the others who have voiced their disapproval of the rule. He claimed that the previous season’s close results were generated by the new regulation.
Ravi Shastri, though, pleaded with cricket players and supporters to let the sport change.
“It’s a good rule, the Impact Player rule. It’s necessary to change with the times. It is true that similar incidents occur in other sports. Its finishes are more precise. I believe that it’s a good rule to adapt to the times you live in. You witnessed how many close calls we had in the Indian Premier League last year. Thus, it’s evident that it has had a significant impact,” Shastri said to Ravichandran Ashwin on his YouTube channel.
“Any new rule that is implemented will inevitably result in…Individuals will attempt to defend their positions. But eventually, as you pointed out, when you see the scores—200 and 190—and people seize the chance to make the most of it, people will begin to reconsider their perspectives,” the former cricket player turned pundit continued.
Jay Shah, the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), stated last week that the Impact Player regulation is “not permanent” and that a decision regarding its use in the next IPL seasons will be made following a stakeholder conversation that takes place after the 2024 T20 World Cup next month.