The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) clarified the rules related to the ‘Impact Player’ which will be added from the IPL 2023 season. The clarification of rules comes just a couple of days ahead of the IPL 2023 auction which takes place in Kochi on Friday (December 23).
The BCCI clarified to all 10 franchise via a note that ‘Impact Player’ can only be an Indian player and not a foreigner, unless there are less than ‘4 overseas stars’ in the Playing XI, according to a report in the Cricbuzz website.
“Only an overseas player who is part of 4 substitutes named in the team sheet can be used as an Impact Player. If a team introduces an overseas player as an Impact Player in a match, in no circumstance can a 5th overseas player take the field,” the BCCI note quoted by Cricbuzz website stated.
The note explained how the ‘Impact Player’ can be used. “The Captain will nominate the Impact Player. The Impact Player can be introduced (i) before the start of the innings; or (ii) after completion of an over; or (iii) in case of a batter, at the fall of the wicket or the batter retiring at any time during the over (as provided in Clause 1.8 (iv) below).
“The bowling team can also get an Impact Player during the fall of the wicket, but that Impact Player will not be permitted to bowl the remaining balls in that over if the wicket has fallen mid over.”
The BCCI informed that any player, who is replaced by an ‘Impact Player’ during the match can no longer be part of the match or permitted to return to the match even as substitute fielder as well.
The BCCI made it clear that the ‘Impact Player’ cannot act as a captain. “In case of Impact Player used by a team, and if an injury occurs, the same rule will apply as they currently do under playing condition (refer Rule 24. Fielder’s Absence; Substitutes). If umpires are satisfied that a fielder has been injured or becomes ill during the match, a substitute fielder is allowed to field in place of an injured player. The substitute shall not bowl or act as captain. Penalty time for the batting and fielding teams will apply to the player off the field for the substitute as per the playing conditions.”
The rules also state that an ‘Impact Player’ can come in place of retired batter who will be allowed to come later if need be. “In the event, a batter is retired and is replaced by an Impact Player and such retired player is nominated as the Replaced Player, then such Replaced Player will no longer take any further part in the game. It is clarified that in the above case, a wicket will be deemed to have fallen.
“(b) In the event, a batter is retired and is replaced by an Impact Player, but another player is nominated as the Replaced Player, then the player that has been retired can come back and participate in the game subject to Clause 25.41 of IPL Match Playing Conditions. In any situation, only 11 players can bat,” the note read.
