The Indian Premier League 2023 (IPL) will herald a new concept of ‘Tactical substitution’ or ‘Impact Player’ rule which allows one substitute player per team to play a more active and flexible role in a game rather than a rigid one as promulgated on Friday (December 2). The tactical substitution that is in the offing to make its debut appearance in the forthcoming IPL was tried and tested during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy domestic T20s in the space of October-November this year.
According to a note sent to IPL franchises on Tuesday, as reported by ESPNcricinfo, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) stated, “Also note that from IPL 2023 Season a tactical/strategic concept will be introduced to add a new dimension to IPL, wherein one substitute player per team will be able to take a more active part in an IPL match.”
"The regulations pertaining to the same will be issued shortly,” it added.
The BCCI put out feelers on the new concept in the domestic circuit however it remains obscure whether the 'Tactical substitute' will have a like-for-like impact compared to the Impact Player rule introduced for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
The impact player rule made it permissible for a team to change one player from its playing XI while the game is underway. The nominated impact player could be part of the game at any point but there is a catch as the designated player has to be introduced before the end of the 14th over of either innings after being called up. The new player would get to bat and bowl his entire four overs quota.
Although it may seem a radical step in cricket that has never been opted in the international scene, substitution regulations are par for the course in sports such as basketball, football, and rugby. Now, this rule has been added in cricket to broaden the tactical horizon and also to level up the tactical scope of the game. IPL will not be the first league to bring forth such a zany notion alien to cricket as for instance the Big Bash League in Australia also implemented the X-Factor rule. The Super Sub rule used in 2005 and 2006 was also featured in One Day Internationals games where a substitute’s role coincided with that of the player he replaced. This meant that the replacement player could only bowl the remaining overs from the quota of the player he replaced and could not bat if the original player had already been dismissed.
Will teams be allowed an Impact Player in shortened games?
Yes, but not if a delayed start shortens the match to fewer than 10 overs per side.
How is this different from BBL’s X-Factor rule?
The X-Factor rule allows teams to substitute a member of their starting XI beyond the 10th over of the first innings, and the replaced player cannot have already batted, or bowled more than one over. A replacement player can bowl a maximum allotment of four overs, even if the player they’ve replaced has bowled.
