IPL influence? 'Impact Player' rule to be introduced in SA20 - Reports

South Africa's premier T20 franchise tournament, SA20 is also looking to adopt the 'Impact Player' rule after its successful implementation in the Indian Premier League (IPL), according to a Cricbuzz report.

The introduction of the rule will be on the agenda when tournament organisers gather to plan the 2025 edition.

Notably, the South African organisers were set to introduce the rule in the 2024 edition which concluded in February with the Sunrisers Eastern Cape lifting their second consecutive trophy. However, it was put on hold as the auctions had happened and the franchises hadn't shaped their squads, keeping in mind the Impact Player rule.

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What is the Impact Player rule?

IPL introduced the Impact Player rule in 2023, under which a team can name five substitutes at the toss. Once the match starts, depending on the game state, the captain is allowed to use any of the five substitutes and swap them directly with the player who was named in the original playing XI.

However, the introduction of the rulehas divided the fans as well as the players. While the rule adds to the theatrics of the game, it has also taken away from the novelty of having proper all-rounders in the team.

Former Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Rohit Sharma has called the ‘Impact Player rule’ as something that is taking away a lot from the game for just a little excitement.

“I generally feel that it is going to hold back [development of all-rounders] because eventually cricket is played by 11 players, not 12 players," Rohit said.

“I'm not a big fan of impact player (rule). You are taking out so much from the game just to make it a little entertainment for the people around," he added.

Delhi Capitals (DC) player Axar Patel, who plays the role of bowling all-rounder, echoed the sentiment shared by Rohit.

"Because of the Impact sub rule, everyone gets one more batsman so they think that they will use the batsman in casethe batting unit doesn't go well. And whosoever comes to play, they don't take much time and start (hitting) from the first ball because they know that they have a player in seventh or eighth place," Axar told PTI news agency.

"That is why I am not a big fan of the rule, because as an allrounder I know that they will either take a proper batsman or a bowler, not an allrounder," he added.

While teams failed to come to terms with the rule last year, they have become smarter and ruthless with the subs this year. It is perhaps one of the reasons why routine 200+ scores have been posted and chased this season.

(With inputs from agencies)