The Impact Player Rule in the IPL, Explained
The Impact Player rule lets each IPL team bring one substitute into the match who can bat and bowl fully, replacing a player from the starting XI. It was introduced in IPL 2023 and has changed how teams pick their sides.
How it works
- At the toss, each captain names a playing XI and up to five substitutes.
- At any time during the match, the team can bring in one of those substitutes as its Impact Player.
- The player who is replaced takes no further part in the match.
- The Impact Player can bat and bowl in full, as if they had been in the XI from the start.
Naming the XI after the toss means a team that knows it will bat first can pick an extra batter, then swap in a specialist bowler for the second innings.
When can the change be made?
The swap can be made before an innings starts, at the end of an over, when a wicket falls, or when a batter retires. A team can only use one Impact Player per match.
The overseas player limit
An IPL XI can include at most four overseas players. If a team starts with four, its Impact Player must be an Indian player. If it starts with fewer, it can bring in an overseas player as long as the total on the field never goes above four.
Batting limits
Only eleven players can bat in an innings. If the replaced player has already batted, the Impact Player can still bat, but the team cannot have more than eleven batters in total.
Why scores went up
With an extra specialist batter or bowler available, teams bat deeper and take more risks at the top of the order. IPL totals rose sharply after the rule came in, and several of the highest team scores in T20 history were made in the IPL seasons that followed.
The debate
Supporters say the rule makes matches more tactical and more exciting. Critics, including some leading players, say it reduces the role of all-rounders, because teams no longer need one player who can do both jobs. The BCCI has kept the rule in place, and it applies only to the IPL, not to international T20 cricket.
Read more about how teams are built in our guide to how the IPL auction works, and about tight finishes in super over rules.