Zaheer Khan backs Impact Player Rule in IPL

Zaheer Khan, the new mentor of the Lucknow Super Giants, has backed the Impact Player Rule in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The BCCI implemented the new rule in 2023 which has been criticised by legendary cricketers like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The five-time winning IPL captain, Rohit has stated that he is "not a fan" since the rule restricts the growth of an all-rounder. Kohli, on the other hand, mentioned that the rule disrupts the balance of the game.

Zaheer, meanwhile, believes that the Impact Player Rule benefits Indian cricket as it provides opportunities to young and uncapped players. He added that genuine all-rounders will always be valuable and are not affected by the rule but the same cannot be said about part-time all-rounders. He also notified that all the teams will keep this in mind in the upcoming mega-auction.

“There has been a debate around the impact of sub-rule. I'm going on record to say that I'm all for it. It has definitely given opportunities to a lot of uncapped Indian talents. This will become evident in the mega auction when teams start focusing on these players,” Zaheer said during a press conference.

“The time spent in match time, it's something you cannot beat. That's the biggest plus. If you are a genuine all-rounder, no one can stop you. There is always going to be value added with your ability to bat and bowl,” the 45-year-old added.

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Meanwhile, after Gautam Gambhir departed from Lucknow, the franchise didn’t announce his replacement and trusted Justin Langer with the head coach role, who replaced Andy Flower. However, the KL Rahul-led side failed to qualify for the playoffs which prompted the team management to bring in a former India player into the set-up. Zaheer has previously played for RCB, MI and DC and also served Mumbai Indians as its Director of Cricket and Head of Global Development.

He is likely to play a key role in finalising Lucknow’s retentions. As per reports, BCCI is all set to announce the number of retentions they will allow next season and regarding the usage of RTM cards in the first week of September.