Shastri Disagrees With Rohit Sharma; Bats For Impact Player Rule

Shastri bats for IPL's Impact Player rule (x.com)Shastri bats for IPL's Impact Player rule (x.com)

The "Impact Player" rule might have come in for sharp criticism in the ongoing IPL, but India's former coach Ravi Shastri and Rajasthan Royals (RR) spinner Ravichandran Ashwin have backed it, stating that it leads to more close finishes.

The rule, implemented in the competition last season, has been a topic of debate this edition, with some experts and current players saying that it will make all-rounders redundant.

"When any new rule comes in, there will be people who will try to justify why that's not right," Shastri said. "But with time, when you see the scores - 200 and 190 - and then, individuals grabbing that opportunity and making the most of it, people will start re-looking at how they think about it."

Ravi Shastri vouched for the rule, saying that the game has to evolve with time.

"The Impact Player (rule) is good. You have to evolve with the times. It happens in other sports as well. It's got tighter finishes," he said on Ashwin's YouTube channel.

Interestingly, India skipper Rohit Sharma, and various other players playing in the league, have expressed their displeasure with the IPL rule.

"I genuinely feel it is going to hold back the development of all-rounders because eventually cricket is played by 11 players, not 12," the Indian captain had said a couple of weeks back. 

"So, I am not a big fan of the Impact Player rule because you are taking so much from the game just to make it a little more entertaining for the people around you."

Before the start of IPL 2023, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) brought the Impact Player rule to increase excitement among cricket fans. However, according to the bowlers, they are the ones who are paying its price after all. 

(With inputs from PTI)