'You have to evolve with time' - Ravi Shastri backs Impact Player rule

The Impact Player rule has come under scrutiny after some cricketers and coaches have expressed their dissatisfaction during the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. However, former India head coach, Ravi Shastri, voiced his support for the rule and explained how the game has benefitted from it.

The Impact Player rule was tried out at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament ahead of last year's IPL. It was subsequently implemented in IPL 2023. Rohit Sharma was the first high-profile Indian player to criticise the rule, speaking about how it will be a hindrance to the development of all-rounders. The likes of Axar Patel, Mukesh Kumar, and Mitchell Starc have also expressed their displeasure with the rule. However, Shastri urged cricketers and fans to allow the game to evolve. He stated that the new rule produced several close results last season.

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"The Impact Player [rule] is good. You have to evolve with the times. You know, it happens in other sports as well. It's got tighter finishes. You have to evolve with the times and I think it's a good rule. You saw the number of tight finishes we had in last year's IPL. So, you know, it has made a big difference," Shastri told Ravichandran Ashwin on his Youtube channel.

"You know when any new rule comes in, there will be…people will try and justify why that's not right. But in time when you see the scores - 200 and 190 - and then like you mentioned individuals grabbing that opportunity and making the most of it, people will start re-looking at how they think about it," the cricketer-turned-commentator added.

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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary, Jay Shah, said last week that the Impact Player rule is "not permanent" and that a call on its use in the upcoming IPL seasons will be taken after a discussion with stakeholders following next month's 2024 T20 World Cup.