BCCI set to introduce substitute ‘Impact Player’
BCCI set to introduce substitute ‘Impact Player’: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is taking a page out of the innovation playbook of the Big Bash League by introducing the ‘Impact Player’ regulation in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy beginning on October 11.
This rule is also expected to be implemented in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League.
According to the regulation, teams are allowed to substitute one member of their starting eleven if they feel it will improve their chances of winning.
The board plans to test out the new regulation in state cricket first, giving teams and players a chance to adjust to the change.
BCCI
According to a BCCI circular sent to all state associations and obtained by The Indian Express, the organization believes “with the ever-growing popularity of T20 cricket; we must look at introducing new dimensions which will make this format more attractive and interesting not only for our viewers but also the participating teams from a strategic viewpoint.”
The board has decided to institute the idea of an “Impact Player,” which would permit one substitute on each side to play a larger role in each game. This would open up some interesting new strategic and tactical possibilities for the game.
At the time of the coin toss, each team must announce its starting eleven and four substitutes. The BCCI circular indicated that only one of the four substitutes listed on the squad sheet might be utilized as an Impact player.
In Australia’s Big Bash League, a player designated as the “X-Factor Player” (the 12th or 13th player on the team sheet) can enter the game after the 10th over of the first innings and replace any player who has not batted or bowled more than one over. Even if the player they are replacing has already bowled, the replacement can only bowl up to four overs.
Teams are not required to utilize an Impact Player but are free to do so if they choose. Before the 14th over of either innings is complete, an Impact Player can be brought into the game.
Statement
In order to introduce an Impact Player, the on-field officials or the fourth umpire must be informed by the captain, head coach, and team manager.
A player who is taken out of the game and replaced by an Impact Player is not eligible to return as a substitute fielder and cannot take part in the rest of the game. The present playing condition under 24.1 – substitute fielders – applies if a player sustains an injury while fielding throughout the course of an over,” the circular says.
When an Impact Player is substituted for an injured player, the wounded player is taken out of the game. Unless an over has already ended, an Impact Player cannot be brought into play until then. But if a club uses an Impact Player and that player gets hurt, the rules for dealing with injuries in that situation will be the same as they are under normal circumstances.
The Impact player can enter the game upon the batting team losing a wicket or during an innings break. The fourth umpire needs to be informed of this by the team.
Circular
According to the memo, “with the introduction of Impact Player in game, a player can bat and may bowl a full allocation of 4 overs in an uninterrupted inning.” In the event that a player is injured and has to withdraw from the game, the Impact Player can be brought into the game at the conclusion of the current over. At any given time, only 11 players are eligible to bat.
The BCCI has referenced the regulations by providing a scenario in which a team that has been asked to bat finds itself losing wickets quickly and needs to bolster its batting lineup in order to set a competitive target score. Thus, it might substitute an Impact player for a batsman who was previously out of the game.
The opposing team can wait until the innings break to make an Impact Player change, giving them more time at bat or the opportunity to bring in an Impact Player who gives them more ways to bowl.
When a fielder gets hurt during bowling over or at the end of an over, a team might bring in their “Impact Player.”
“Regardless of the number of overs bowled by the player he is replacing, an Impact Player may bowl his full quota of 4 overs in a continuous inning.” According to the circular, the Impact Player cannot replace a bowler who is suspended for breaking the law.
However, no Impact Players can be used if the total amount of overs per innings is fewer than 10 before the start of the match due to a delayed start.