'It takes the skill out of the game': Shubman Gill's bold remark on this IPL rule

Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill has joined a growing chorus of Indian cricketers criticising the IPL's Impact Player rule, stating that the regulation 'takes the skill out of the game'. The debate came to a head during a pre-season captains' meeting in Mumbai on March 25, where a majority of the league's 10 leaders reportedly sought a formal review of the rule.

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I don't think there should be an impact player: Shubman Gill

Despite this push, the BCCI has held firm, clarifying that the Impact Player provision, first introduced in 2023, will remain in place until at least 2027. Officials informed the captains that any potential changes to the strategic substitute rule will not be considered until the current cycle concludes. Speaking candidly a day after the meeting, Gill argued that the rule makes the format 'one-dimensional' by allowing teams to essentially play with 12 players.

"Personally for me, I don't think there should be an impact player. I think cricket in general is an 11 players' game and on wickets where we play on the grounds that we play, adding an extra batsman is I think it takes the skill out of the game. There's a certain skill in the game that you need to have. When you have a certain amount of batters and if a couple of your batters get out, there's an amount of skill that you need to have to still get the scoreboard moving and get your team to a good score," Gill said in the pre-season.

"With that one extra player, it's making the game more one-dimensional and it's taking a little bit of the skill out of the game. Chasing 180 on a challenging wicket or 160 on a challenging wicket is for me, it's personally way more exciting than chasing 220 on a flat wicket," he added.

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The BCCI has indicated that a decision on the strategic substitute rule will not be revisited until after the 2027 season, meaning Gill and other critics of the format will have to continue with the current system for the foreseeable future.

"It's gonna be there till 2027. It's something that we also spoke about in the captain's meeting yesterday. I understand it makes the game a bit more entertaining, but let's see. It's there. It's up to them what the BCCI is going to do, they're gonna take their decision, but personally I don't like it," Gill concluded.

GT will start their IPL 2026 campaign against Punjab Kings on March 31 before taking on Rajasthan Royals (RR) on April 4.

Here's GT's full schedule for IPL 2026:

Mar 31 – vs PBKS – 7:30 PM – New Chandigarh
Apr 4 – vs RR – 7:30 PM – Ahmedabad
Apr 8 – vs DC – 7:30 PM – Delhi
Apr 12 – vs LSG – 3:30 PM – Lucknow
Apr 17 – vs KKR – 7:30 PM – Ahmedabad
Apr 20 – vs MI – 7:30 PM – Ahmedabad
Apr 24 – vs RCB – 7:30 PM – Bengaluru
Apr 26 – vs CSK – 3:30 PM – Ahmedabad
Apr 30 – vs RCB – 7:30 PM – Ahmedabad
May 3 – vs PBKS – 7:30 PM – Ahmedabad
May 9 – vs RR – 7:30 PM – Jaipur
May 12 – vs SRH – 7:30 PM – Ahmedabad
May 16 – vs KKR – 7:30 PM – Kolkata
May 21 – vs CSK – 7:30 PM – Chennai