Impact Player in IPL 2023: What BCCI's new rule is all about and how it was used in SMAT

The BCCI on Friday introduced a major change in the Indian Premier League (IPL) by making the ‘Impact Player’ rule official from the 2023 season. “Time for a New Season. Time for a New rule. How big an “impact” will the substitute player have this edition of the #TATAIPL,” tweeted the official handle of the cash-rich Indian league that will enter its 16th season next year. “From the IPL 2023 season a tactical concept will be introduced to add a new dimension to the IPL, wherein one substitute player per team will be able to make a more active part in an IPL match,” the league further wrote in the post.

Time for a New season 😃

Time for a New rule 😎

How big an "impact" will the substitute player have this edition of the #TATAIPL 🤔 pic.twitter.com/19mNntUcUW

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) December 2, 2022

Introducing the ‘Impact Player’ rule however, is by no means entering uncharted territory as the BCCI has already put it to the test in its domestic competitions — the recently-concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali in this case. So what exactly is the new rule and how has it been utilised in recent events? And is it similar to rules introduced by other cricket boards in their competitions? Let’s find out… What is the ‘Impact Player’ rule? The ‘Impact Player’ rule allows teams to bring in what is cricket’s equivalent of a substitute midway through the game, allowing the side to make adjustments according to changing conditions or to replace a non-performing player. The rule that was implemented in the Syed Mushtaq Ali earlier this year required teams to name four substitutes besides their Playing XI before the first ball of the match is bowled. One of those four substitutes can be brought in as the ‘Impact Player’. Unlike the concussion substitute or the ‘Super Sub’ that the ICC had introduced long back, the ‘Impact Player’ does not have to be identical in role to the player getting substituted. In other words, a bowler can replace a batter or an all-rounder. When can the Impact Player be introduced during a match? A team can call in one of the four substitutes as the ‘Impact Player’ either while batting or bowling, but before the 14th over of the innings. The player can be brought onto the field in the middle of an over as well, in case a wicket has fallen or a fielder is injured. The player that gets replaced then is ineligible to take part in the remainder of the game. The captain, the head coach or the team manager will have to notify the match officials before bringing forth one of the four substitutes. Additionally, the ‘Impact Player’ can bat for the remainder of the innings or bowl his full quota of overs. There are certain restrictions on the ‘Impact Player’ rule in case of rain-affected games; if a match has been reduced to 10-overs a side or less, then the rule cannot be enforced. Who was the first player to be named ‘Impact Player’? Delhi’s Hrithik Shokeen became the first 'Impact Player' in the Syed Mushtaq Ali earlier this year after the rule was officially introduced in the domestic T20 competition. Off-spinner Shokeen, who made his IPL debut with the Mumbai Indians earlier this year, replaced opener Hiten Dalal in their group match against Manipur. Dalal got replaced after scoring 47 off 27 balls, and Shokeen would make an impact with the ball, collecting two wickets for 13 runs to guide his side to a 71-run win. Is it similar to rules introduced by other leagues/tournaments? BCCI’s ‘Impact Player’ rule is similar to the X-Factor rule in the Big Bash League, which was introduced ahead of the 2020 season. In the ‘X-Factor’ rule, a member of the starting XI can be substituted at the 10-over mark of the first innings by either the 12th or the 13th player — who have to be named accordingly in the team sheets at toss. However, the member of the starting XI getting replaced cannot have batted or bowled more than one over. Read all the  Latest News,  Trending News,  Cricket News,  Bollywood News,  India News and  Entertainment News here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.