The ‘Impact Player’ rule enables teams to replace any one member of their playing XI during a match.
According to the rule, each team can nominate as many as 5 substitute players along with their playing XI after the toss. One of them can replace a member from the original XI during the match and the player will be called Impact Player.
However, teams can’t replace a player with a foreign recruit if they have already picked 4 overseas cricketers in the XI.
While many believe that this rule reduces the role of all-rounders in the team, Gujarat Titans (GT) batter David Miller feels it doesn’t “threaten” the role of all-rounders and instead provides teams with extra strength.
“I’ve just come in the last couple of days and I’m still trying to kind of get the concept of it, but it seems like it takes away the impact of all rounders, takes their role away,” Miller said during a press conference on the eve of MI’s clash against KKR.
“That’s my understanding, where you can take six or seven frontline batters or six frontline bowlers. So, yeah, I mean, we’ll see how it goes as IPL goes on.”
When asked if the all-rounder’s position is threatened due to the new rule, Miller said: “No, not necessarily threatened.”
“I mean, ultimately, you’ve got your all-rounders position. But I think the fact that you’ve got the choice to have the extra batter or the extra bowler just gives extra strength to the team.
“So I wouldn’t say it’s a threat to any all rounders. All rounders have always been highly regarded in any team. So I think their role still remains but it just gives this extra strength to the team in terms of batting or bowling.”
On Sunday (April 9), GT will face KKR, who have three mystery spinners – Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy and Suyash Sharma – in their ranks.
“KKR have got a strong team, some really good mystery bowlers, and we’re well aware of what they’ve gotten. In terms of preparation, we we’ve been doing everything we can the last day or two to counter that,” Miller said.
“It is going to be very hot. So I think the guys are going to be hydrating, well, the next 24 hours.”
Miller further said Gujarat Titans have never been dependent on individuals and the contributions from different players will once again be the key to their title defence.
“In terms of the batting in our squad, we’ve got some some really good betters at the moment, the guys are all contributing at different stages. And that’s what we did really well last year.
“There wasn’t one player that was kind of performing and everyone was relying on that person, it was, contributions from all the batters at different stages through the IPL. And I think in order to get to the playoffs and ultimately win the trophy, you need a squads performance in all the different betters throughout the tournament, as well as bowlers.
“The guys are in a really good space and batting really well and training really hard. So I’m not going to point out anyone specifically but just as a team as how we kind of go about the season after being very successful last season.”
(With PTI Inputs)