Impact Player rule in IPL: All you need to know

The Impact Player rule, first introduced in the 2023 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), has been retained in IPL 2024 too.

In simple words, the Impact Player rule allows each team to have one substitute player who can actively participate in matches with either bat or ball.

This rule is distinct from regular cricket substitution rules where a substitute fielder can only replace an injured player on the field but cannot bat or bowl.

Also read: IPL 2024 points table and team rankings

Unlike concussion substitutions in international cricket, which allow the replacement player to bat and bowl in case of injury, the Impact Player rule is more strategic and not solely based on injuries.

Here’s how the Impact Player rule works in the IPL:

Before a match, teams can name five substitute players in addition to their playing XI.

Once the match begins, captains can choose one of these substitutes to replace a player from the starting XI during natural breaks in the game, such as the start of an innings, end of an over, fall of a wicket, or when a batter retires.

However, if a bowling side substitutes an Impact Player after the fall of a wicket or during a batter’s retirement mid-over, the substitute cannot bowl the remaining balls of that over.

Regardless of how many overs the replaced player has bowled, the Impact Player can bowl their full quota of four overs.

The player who is replaced by the Impact Player from the starting XI cannot return to the match. Teams are allowed only one Impact Player substitution per match.

However, there’s a condition regarding overseas players: if a team already has the maximum of four overseas players in their starting XI, they can only bring on an Indian player as their Impact Player. If the team has three or fewer overseas players in the starting XI, they can bring on another foreign player from the substitute list as the Impact Player.