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IPL’s Impact Player – spinning in from the periphery
Karun Nair for Delhi Capitals and Karn Sharma for Mumbai Indians show there is much more to the role than merely as a substitute
New Delhi: When the Impact Player rule was introduced in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2023, it was essentially viewed as a tactical tool to add depth in the teams. Two years on, it seems to be serving another purpose. It has become a lifeline for those on the fringes of selection, offering them a shot at relevance and revival.
Take Karun Nair, for instance. A Test triple centurion in 2016, he wasn’t exactly a preferred name in IPL for the last three years. Though he had stacked up the runs in domestic cricket even then, this year he had a standout season in which he amassed 779 runs in eight innings at an astonishing average of 389.50 in the one-day Vijay Hazare Trophy. He then finished with the second highest aggregate for Ranji Trophy champions Vidarbha, scoring 863 runs at an average of 53.94.
Yet, having been out of the tournament for many years and not exactly having great numbers in the past – he had scored 1506 runs in 6 matches across nine IPL seasons – teams did not have the confidence in the 33-year-old.
Although Delhi Capitals acquired his services again and the batter returned to the franchise after eight years, it took them four matches and an injury to Faf du Plessis to draft Nair into their plans. Thanks to the Impact Player rule, he found his way back into the eleven against Mumbai Indians on Sunday. For someone who was ignored in the auction and team selection, his 89 off 40 balls was a timely reminder of his quality.
“We lost an important player in Faf and we knew that the few of us sitting outside must be ready at any given time. Mentally, I was ready and was looking forward to the opportunity. Very happy I got it and now it is about me capitalising on the opportunity,” Nair said after a match which Capitals lost to Mumbai Indians.
Like Nair, leg spinner Karn Sharma was returning to MI after eight years. This year, he faced the challenge in a squad that had other spin options such as young Vignesh Puthur. But in a game that called for his experience, the 37-year-old was subbed in as an Impact Player. He produced a vital spell 3/36 – one that ensured MI’s stunning fightback against DC.
“IPL is such a tournament that one can’t predict whether they will be in the playing eleven or 12. You just have to believe that you have to perform when you get the chance,” Karn said after the match.
Both players had prepared for this clash amidst uncertainty and delivered special performances, in a role built precisely for moments like these, but it might now tilt the scale in their favour when it comes to regular selection.
There is also DC’s Ashutosh Sharma who was used by Punjab Kings as Impact Player in three matches last season. DC opted to take the same route until he convinced them with his fearless batting in the Impact Player scenarios was enough for him to move beyond being a situational pick.
For these players, the rule is more than a tactical innovation. It is a proving ground. One good outing can become the difference between warming the bench and making the XI. Teams are also taking a punt on players when they have the assurance that that it won’t compromise with their core player picks.
For years, IPL was a platform to produce stars. Because of the Impact Player rule, the league is also providing a platform on which careers are restarted and reputations rebuilt.
