 "Kohli echoes Rohit's views on 'Impact Player' rule, says 'there is no balance' in the IPL because of it")
Indian batting superstar Virat Kohli is the latest player to join the chorus against the ‘Impact Player’ rule in the Indian Premier League (IPL) saying it has “disrupting the balance” of the game.
Kohli echoed India skipper Rohit Sharma's views on the topic , with the latter having recently expressed his displeasure saying it would hinder the development of all-rounders in India and hurt their chances in international tournaments, where it hasn’t been implemented yet.
“I agree with Rohit. Entertainment is one aspect of the game but there is no balance,” Kohli said on Jio Cinema.
“I think it has disrupted the balance and a lot of people are feeling this way, not just me,” he said.
Rohit in the podcast had said, “I’m not a big fan… It’s going to hold back all-rounders. Cricket is played by 11, not 12 (players).”
The BCCI had introduced the 'Impact Player' rule last season as cricket’s equivalent of football’s substitution rule, in which a player named in the starting XI can be replaced at any given stage during a match.
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The rule effectively allows teams to bring in an extra batter or a bowler depending on the match situation, and has especially benefitted the batters by allowing them to play a lot more freely, especially in the powerplay.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsWhich in turn has led to record-breaking feats this season with Sunrisers Hyderabad breaking the record for the highest total in IPL history not once but twice and their opening pair Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma plundering a record 125 runs in a powerplay.
Additionally, Punjab Kings pulled off the highest successful chase in T20 history by chasing down 262 against Kolkata Knight Riders in an away game.
Kohli, for one, felt the bowlers’ pain, with the 250-mark having been breached eight times this season.
“Bowlers are feeling like what they should do,” Kohli said.
“I have never experienced anything like it where bowlers think they will concede four or a six on every ball.
“Not every team has a Bumrah (Jasprit) or the mystery of Rashid Khan,” he said.
“I am telling you, with one extra batter there is a reason I am playing with 200-plus strike rate in the powerplays. I know there is a batsman waiting at No. 8 as well.
“We are playing a high level of cricket and it should not be that dominant in my opinion. There is a beauty about having an equal balance between bat and ball,” Kohli added.
Also Read | How Impact Player rule has made life worse for all-rounders, bowlers and Team India
BCCI secretary Jay Shah, meanwhile, has insisted is a “test case” designed to give more opportunities to players in the world’s biggest T20 league, and that the board will have a discussion on the rule with stakeholders going forward.
“I am sure Jay (Shah) bhai has mentioned it already that they will review it and I am sure that they will come to a conclusion which brings the game into balance,” said Kohli.
“As a batsman, I can say this rule is good but the match should be exciting. Only fours and sixes are not exciting in cricket. Exciting is that you can defend 160 as well, Kohli said.
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