IN LIGHTER VEIN: THE IMPACT PLAYER

Dear Readers,

The IPL this year has been on a roll. A little ahead of the halfway mark, the matches are getting more exciting. Be it Rinku Singh’s five sixes in an over or Arshdeep’s two clean bowled in the last over, everyone is glued to his TV set or Mobile phone when the match is on. Something has made a difference this year. Could it be the introduction of the new ‘Impact Player’ rule? Most viewers are unsure what the new rule means and how it works. This piece is a humourous take on the Impact Player rule. A disclaimer attached at the end states that there is no intent to question anyone’s abilities or form. It is all in a light vein. I hope you will enjoy it.

IN LIGHTER VEIN: THE IMPACT PLAYER

Tushar was excited watching the IPL. Tonight, he seemed on edge. “Don’t fall off the chair, man. You will break your teeth. Not that it matters; you can’t get any uglier”. Saying this, Venkat had a big laugh. He loved cricket as much as Tushar did, but the problem was he was a CSK (Chennai Super Kings) fan. One could attribute it to Dhoni worship.

“So, how is your favourite player doing tonight”? Asked Venkat. “Bloody fool is out again on a duck”, replied Tushar. “Don’t tell again”? Venkat swooned in sarcasm. “Is that the Indian captain?” Venkat asked. “Yes, man, Rohit Sharma. Such a crucial game, and he is out for a duck. MI has to score 215 to win against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) at Mohali”, lamented Tushar. Tushar’s favourite team Mumbai Indians (MI), was not doing well in the tournament and had to win this crucial game to stay in the hunt. “It should be very well-read MIA (Missing in Action). Rohit should continue to sit out, maybe as a permanent ‘Impact Player’. That way, at least, he will get some runs. His best performance: 20 runs in 13 balls”, said Tushar in disgust. “What is this new thing about impact player, man? How does it help”? Venkat asked in all seriousness.

When it came to cricket, Tushar was knowledge personified, which may be the only area where he could show superiority. “The impact player rule has been introduced in the IPL for the first time this year (IPL 2023). I suspect it is to save an embarrassment for many old guys like Dhoni”, said a loud, laughing Tushar. He thought he was giving one back to Venkat. One all, he said. “I am serious, man; please explain”, said Venkat. “Ok, no more jokes on your hero; I will crack it unabashed on anyone who deserves it,” said Tushar, and went on to explain the rules in great detail.

“Each team in this IPL can make one substitution in a match with one Impact Player. At the beginning of the match, each team will submit the names of four substitute players along with the playing eleven. If chosen, the impact player has to be one of the four substitutes. The impact player can enter the match anytime at the team captain’s request to the umpire. An impact player would come in place of a member of the playing eleven. The player substituted cannot play any further part in the game once replaced, like the football substitution rule. The impact player has to be an Indian if four overseas players are already playing in the team. An overseas impact player can only be allowed inside the field if he is replacing an overseas playing member, or else the team at the start was playing with only three overseas players. This rule ensures that the number of overseas players never crosses four at any point in the game. An impact player does not change any other rule of the game. Only 11 players will bat or field. The reason for the new Impact Player rule is many. The primary reason is to allow the teams to have an additional batter or bowler, thus giving them more options. It is in line with other games like football or basketball, where you can use substitute players. However, it is not mandatory for any team to bring an Impact Player into the game. The rule already exists in some cricket leagues, like the Big Bash league in Australia. But the IPL impact rule is more dynamic. I have covered the main rules and left out some minor ones, said Tushar”, ending his lesson on Impact Player.

“Tushar tell me, why did the MI name their captain as an impact player in one of their matches?” asked Venkat. “For the same reason, CSK has used their most dependable batsman Ambati Raiydu as an impact player when they should have named the old horse Dhoni, an impact player. Oh, no, then he will have no role to the play if he becomes an impact player”, laughed Tushar loudly. “And what about KL Rahul? Why has Lucknow not rested him as an impact player? He could have prolonged his career in IPL”, chuckled Tushar. “It seems the IPL teams have misread the impact rule. It was designed to keep younger and more talented players to strengthen their team, like Tushar Deshpande, my namesake of your favourite CSK. He has been the most successful impact player till now”, continues Tushar. “What about KKR? Shah Rukh is missing from the scene. Otherwise, he would have made a better impact player. Luckily for Preity Zinta, her TRP is going up with PBKS (Punjab Kings) doing better under Shikhar Dhawan and Sam Curran”, mewed Venkat, who was now having fun taking down every team bit by bit. “Haha I am not a SRK or PZ fan", said Tushar. “Andre Russel should be made to sit as one of the substitutes; his captain has a tough time deciding if he should be batting or bowling”, Venkat continued his attack.

“Tushar, tell me, is it possible for a team to bowl four overs from a bowler, say Bhuvneshwar Kumar of SRH (Sun Risers Hyderabad) at the beginning of the match, and replace him with Natrajan to bowl the last four death overs”, queried Venkat. “Of course, it is possible; they could do that. But in my opinion, SRH requires a batting impact player more than a bowling one, with Mayank Agarwal now proving himself the worst IPL player of the season”, answered Tushar. “What about King Kohli? Should he be a batting impact player and allow an additional bowler to bring in the side,” asked Venkat. “Absolutely not; IPL will lose all the sheen; remember, IPL is more about the drama that happens off the field as much as it happens inside. On a serious note, Kohli is too good a fielder to be sitting on the benches during their fielding stint”, replied Tushar.

“Tushar tell me, can Saurav Ganguly replace David Warner in the Delhi Capital team as an impact player? After all, David cannot hold a bat these days?” Venkat was now enjoying this pow-wow with Tushar. Venkat, I Know you don’t like Warner or Ganguly, so your question is more rhetoric. But the answer is ‘No’. Only players can be part of the impact rules, not coaches. If Ganguly was in the playing eleven, what you said was possible. But the reverse would not be true, meaning the rule wouldn’t permit it if Ganguly was playing and had to be replaced by Warner. The overseas player cannot be an impact player unless DC plays with only three overseas players. I don’t think DC can afford the luxury of playing only three. They require all guns blazing, especially when Prithvi Shaw fit only to bring in drinks and towels during the game.

“Tushar, do you think the impact player rule is to make more money for the franchises and, in turn, for the IPL,” asked Venkat. Tushar was now serious, for the dig was genuine and severe, but he was unsure if the IPL management deserved brickbats here. Venky, you are big B.. You always count money. It would bring more dynamism to the game. This IPL (2023) has already seen teams scoring way above the average of previous years, and 200-plus score chases. There have been last-over finishes in almost every match, making IPL watching a different experience. Viewers are glued to their phones or TV till the last ball. Even the points table has the first seven teams in striking distance for qualifying, meaning the points difference is tiny. You cannot deny it. It’s a different matter that you fear MI would creep closer to CSK”, summed up Tushar in one breath with a wink. Remembering something, he said, “Venky also in future the impact player rule will change how IPL auction is held and attended. More strategy would come into the game, which would benefit IPL. A mixture of brawn and brains in future years”.

“Tushar, tell me, who do you think will win this year’s IPL,” asked Venkat. Tushar said, looking for a witty answer: CSK has to wait until Dhoni returns as a mentor. But on a serious note, it is hard to make that prediction. Teams who will strategies well from here on and play good cricket would stand the best chance. GT under Hardik and RR (Rajasthan Royals) under Samson have shown great promise. Their impact players have made outstanding contributions like Tiwatia and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Also, they carry less baggage of age than the other teams, like my favourite MI”, replied Tushar, like a mature statesman.

“May the best team win”, Venkat said, thanking Tushar for making him wiser on IPL 2023.

(Disclaimer: This piece is an attempt at humour. It intends to keep the reading light and interesting for the reader. There is no intent to malign any player or cast aspersions on his abilities. Anyone who is part of an IPL franchise has already proved his worth. The writer holds all the players, named or not named, in the highest regard for their abilities. )