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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has told State cricket associations that the impact player rule will be ruled out from the upcoming edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), India’s domestic T20 competition.
“Kindly note that the BCCI has decided to do away with the provision of the ‘Impact Player’ for the ongoing season,” the BCCI wrote to the state units on Monday.
However, this rule will be there for the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). A couple of years ago, the Impact Player rule was introduced in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) on an experimental basis before being adopted in the IPL. This rule allows teams to substitute a player during a match, providing strategic flexibility and enhancing the dynamics of the game.
During the last IPL season, many players including Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli expressed their disappointment with the Impact Player rule. On the other hand, franchise owners and broadcasters reckoned that the rule has made the tournament more intense and competitive.
IPL 2024 witnessed a lot of high-scoring matches because of the impact player rule.
However, with the Impact Player rule now scrapped in the domestic tournament, it remains uncertain whether it will continue in the IPL beyond the 2025 season. This rule has also been utilized in the ILT20 and the Abu Dhabi T10.
Meanwhile, the BCCI has decided to retain the two-bouncer-per-over rule in the SMAT. This rule allows an additional bouncer in an over for domestic matches, differing from international cricket, where only one bouncer is permitted.
