Wasim Jaffer says impact player rule in IPL must go if BCCI wants to encourage more all-rounders

Impact player rule allows teams to play an extra specialist bowler or batter and use them when needed.

Former India opener Wasim Jaffer spoke against the impact player rule which was implemented in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the 2023 season. Jaffer suggested that the rule is harmful to development of all-rounders, as the Indian team direly needs quality players who can bowl and bat well.

The Impact Player rule, applied in the IPL since the 2023 season, allows teams to make one substitution during the match. The player substituted in can contribute with both bat and ball, according to the team's needs.

With the Impact Player rule, teams can rely less on all-rounders. Previously, a T20 squad would include six batters, four bowlers, and one all-rounder. The more all-rounders a squad possessed, the more 'balanced' it appeared.

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But with the impact player rule, teams are now playing 6 batters and 5 bowlers, with an additional batter or bowler available depending on the match situation. The rule, which is increasingly being used in domestic matches as well, simply allows them to be balanced even without all-rounders.

Wasim Jaffer, on the other hand, believes that the impact player rule is detrimental to the development of all-rounders. In international cricket, the rule does not yet apply, and the Men in Blue rely largely on all-rounder Hardik Pandya.

There has been some discussion regarding the Indian team's failure to develop new all-rounders, particularly pacer all-rounders to back up Hardik Pandya.

"I think IPL needs to take away the impact player rule, as it's not encouraging the all-rounders to bowl much, and lack of ARs and batters not bowling is a major area of concern for Indian cricket. Thoughts?," Jaffer wrote on X.