Impact Player is a luxury to have — says MS Dhoni: The 16th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has kickstarted with the opening match between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. This year’s tournament is expected to be even grander as it will be played in the ‘home and away’ format after a long time.
The opening match saw the introduction of the new ‘Impact Player’ rule, which allows both captains to make last-minute tweaks to their playing XI based on whether they’re batting or bowling first. Each team can name five substitute players, one of whom can become the ‘Impact Player’ at any stage of the game.
Commenting on the new rule, Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni said, “It’s a luxury to have (impact player) and it becomes slightly easy to use here because in domestic (Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy) it was at the 14th over. Influence of allrounder has become slightly less because of the rule.”
After winning the toss, Gujarat Titans elected to bowl first, and Mohammed Shami provided an early breakthrough by dismissing Devon Conway for just one run. At the time of writing, Chennai Super Kings were 29/1 after four overs.
Whenever an Impact Player is introduced into the game, the umpire will make a cross signal with both hands over their heads. The phenomenon was tested during the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and was well-received by the teams.
The Impact Player rule adds an exciting element to the game and allows teams to make last-minute changes to their playing XI based on the situation of the game. It will be intriguing to see how teams utilize the rule throughout the tournament.
Overall, the IPL promises to be an exciting tournament this year, with a new format and the introduction of innovative rules like the Impact Player. Fans around the world can look forward to an action-packed few weeks of T20 cricket.
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