IPL 2024: Here's why Rohit and Gilchrist criticise impact player rule

Rohit Sharma explained that the Impact player rule is not helping Indian cricket while Gilchrist questioned the Impact rule, saying it is killing the integrity of the sport.

The Impact rule in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 has allowed the teams to post big totals and the team batting second to chase down totals over 200 runs. 

While Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have broken their own record of the highest team total in IPL 2024, Rajasthan Royals (RR) registered the highest successful chase in IPL on the back of Jos Buttler's magnificent century against Kolkata Knight Rider (KKR).

Check LSG vs CSK LIVE SCORE, FULL SCORECARD AND MATCH UPDATES HERE | IPL 2024

In the match against Mumbai Indians (MI), the Sunrisers broke the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) record of 263-5 by posting 277-3 on board. In the match against RCB, Hyderabad bettered their own record by posting 287-3. 

Though fans have been enthralled by sixes being hit all around the park courtesy of impact player rule, the Indian captain Rohit Sharma feels otherwise.

While speaking on the Club Prairie Fire Podcast, Rohit said that the Impact player rule is holding back the all-rounders which is not good for Indian cricket.

"I am not a big fan of the Impact player rule. It holds all-rounders back, eventually, cricket is played by 11 players not 12 players. You are taking out so much from the game to make it entertaining for people around,” he said.

Rohit explains how the impact player rule not helping Indian all-rounders

Elaborating on how the Impact player rule is unfair for all-rounders, Rohit said that Shivam Dube didn't get an opportunity with the ball for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and spin all-rounder Washington Sundar is not getting enough game time for Hyderabad.

"If you look just from the cricketing aspect of it I feel guys like Shivam Dube and Washington Sundar aren’t getting to bowl, which for us is not a good thing. I don’t know what you can do about it. There are 12 players for you, it is entertaining, you can bring on the impact player after watching how the game is going, how the pitch is behaving."

"If you bat well and you don’t lose wickets, you can add another bowler, it gives you an option of six or seven bowlers. You don’t require that extra batter because a lot of teams are batting well up front and you hardly see a No 7 or No 8 coming to bat," Rohit added.

Adam Gilchrist on impact player rule

Meanwhile, former Australia wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist also supported Rohit's view and said that the impact player rule is killing the integrity of the sport. 

“I think it has added something special. It’s all built for spectators and their entertainment. You are compromising the fundamentals of the cricket.

“Why T20 was so entertaining because you were not compromising with the integrity of cricket. It is 11 vs 11, same size field, and the field restrictions are also the same. There was no gimmick needed. I think it is a bit concerning,” Gilchrist added.

Gilchrist further elaborated that prior to IPL 2024, the team total of 250-plus was breached only two times but in the ongoing edition, 250+ scores are breached four times.

"It’s not bad bowling, it’s just people coming free mindset & smacking all over the part. That’s how T20 cricket played these days.”