Ravichandran Ashwin Backs IPL’s Impact Player Rule, Says It Enhances Strategic Value
R Ashwin has been monumental in the red ball format for India. However, he has also played well in T20s. The best example of his impact in a shorter format has been IPL. He has played his part for his team at every opportunity. However, recently, he commented on the impact player rule for the IPL.
He said that it is beneficial for the new players. It gives them the prospect to demonstrate their skills. It allows them to pursue batting and bowling at crucial junctures.
He further added that the team bowling second gets some crucial benefits. It is because if the pitch is turning in the second half. Then, it allows the bowling team to reevaluate their plan.
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As an example, he also pointed out a match. In IPL 2024, Rajasthan was playing against Hyderabad in Qualifier 2. In that match, Hyderabad scored 179. In response, Rajasthan lost the match by 36 runs. It happened because Hyderabad introduced Shahbaz Ahmed as an impact player. He took three wickets in his spell, which turned the match in Hyderabad’s favor.
So, he tried to clarify that an impact player will give the team some advantage. He also said that this rule should be given preference. As a result, teams will have the option to use an extra player for bowling or batting. It will also make the games more interesting.
He further added, that this rule has helped some players to get some chances. Specifically, Shivam and Dhruv have been able to get the opportunity to show their impact in a match.
All of these have not stopped some from criticizing the strategy. Some people are adamant that the rule is going to affect the performance of all-rounders. It has raised questions, that this rule will affect the skills of the players in the long run. So, some people want this rue to be scrapped.
Additionally, he also questioned the RTM rule. He tried to add some modifications to the rule that allow steams to retain players after an auction by matching the bid. He added that a player should be given the chance to select his fate.
He further clarified that a player should be allowed to choose whether he wants to be a part of RTM or not. A player should also be given the option to select his own base price for the rule.
