Shubman Gill, the captain of the Gujarat Titans, was the latest Indian cricketer to criticize the Impact Player rule in the IPL, claiming that “it takes the skill out of the game.”
Axar Patel, the captain of the Delhi Capitals, Hardik Pandya, and Rohit Sharma are among the other Indian players who have voiced their disapproval of the rule.
At the IPL captains conference in Mumbai on Wednesday, most of the skippers, including Gill, requested that the regulation that the BCCI introduced in 2023 be reviewed before being extended at least until 2027.
When asked about his opinions on the Impact Player rule, which permits teams to use an extra batter or bowler at any point during the game, Gill did not hold back on Thursday.
“Personally for me, I don’t think there should be an impact player. I think cricket in general is an 11-players game and on wickets where we play on the grounds that we play, adding an extra batsman is I think it takes the skill out of the game,” PTI quoted Gill, who leads India in Tests and ODIs, as saying.
“There’s a certain skill in the game that you need to have. When you have a certain amount of batters and if a couple of your batters get out, there’s an amount of skill that you need to have to still get the scoreboard moving and get your team to a good score.
“With that one extra player, it’s making the game more one-dimensional and it’s taking a little bit of the skill out of the game. Chasing 180 on a challenging wicket or 160 on a challenging wicket is for me, it’s personally way more exciting than chasing 220 on a flat wicket,” he added.
Gill and anyone who disagree with the idea would have to wait till the BCCI makes a decision on the strategic rule following the 2027 Indian Premier League.
“It’s gonna be there till 2027. It’s something that we also spoke about in the captain’s meeting yesterday. I understand it makes the game a bit more entertaining, but let’s see. It’s there. It’s up to them what the BCCI is going to do, they’re gonna take their decision, but personally I don’t like it,” added Gill.
