Venkatesh Iyer has asserted that introducing the Impact Player rule for IPL 2023 has decreased the upside of all-rounders. He believes that with this rule in place, teams would likely opt for a specialized sixth bowling option as a substitute instead of taking up overs from an all-rounder.
The Impact Player rule allows both teams to declare five substitutes before the match and utilize the services of one at any point during the game, which has been well-received by franchises, as it adds a unique dynamic to the T20 league.
Venkatesh Iyer, who has had an impressive stint as an Impact Player for KKR, believes the new rule has dramatically shifted how the IPL is played. During a media interaction before Kolkata’s clash against Delhi Capitals (DC), he stated:
“Honestly, with the coming of impact players, the number of overs an all-rounder is bowling has dropped down drastically. Obviously, if a team has a specialist bowler as their sixth bowler and they don’t want to try their all-rounder…. this is what impact player rule has brought. It has lessened the utility of all-rounders.”
The 28-year-old accepted that the rule will remain in place, recognizing that Impact Players are becoming game-changers. He went on to say:
“It’s a very interesting rule that has come in place. If you are playing in the IPL, it’s an international-level tournament; the think tank is so big in the every team that I guess they might have figured it out in the very first match itself. By now, everyone knows how to use the impact player. If you see the results, the impact players are turning out to be an X factor.”
The left-handed batter stepped up as KKR’s Impact Player against the Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad, smashing 83 off 40 balls as the team chased down the target of 205 runs on the last ball.
“I am 100 percent ready to bowl”: Venkatesh Iyer
After successfully recovering from an ankle injury, Venkatesh Iyer declared that he is all set to begin bowling again and to prove it, he even got clearance from the National Cricket Academy (NCA). He stated:
“I am 100 percent ready to bowl. I was given clearance by the NCA. The most pleasing thing is not the runs I am scoring, the thing that I am back on the field and playing in such a big tournament.”
The left-handed batter achieved a remarkable feat when he hit 104 off 51 balls against Mumbai Indians (MI) and became only the second KKR player to score a century in the Indian Premier League (IPL).