Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki) Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill has joined a growing list of Indian players who have expressed concern over the Impact Player rule in the Indian Premier League, saying it “takes the skill out of the game”.Gill’s remarks came shortly after similar criticism from players like Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel. During the IPL captains’ meeting held in Mumbai, most of the team leaders, including Gill, reportedly pushed for a review of the rule, which was first introduced by the BCCI in 2023 and has since been extended until at least 2027.
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Impact Player Rule: Game Changer or All-Round Killer? Speaking the day after the meeting, Gill was clear in his stance against the regulation, which allows teams to introduce extra batsmen or pitchers at any time during a game.“Personally, I don’t think there should be an impact player. I think cricket is generally an 11-man game and on wickets where we play at the place we play, to add another batsman is I think it takes skill out of the game,” Gill said.He further explained that the traditional balance of the sport is affected, especially in pressure situations where teams are expected to adapt with limited resources.“There’s a certain skill you have to have in the game. When you have a certain amount of at-bats and if a couple of your at-bats get out, there’s a certain amount of skill you have to have to keep moving the scoreboard and get your team to score well.”Gill also argued that the rule made matches more predictable and less competitive, especially on hitting surfaces.“With that one extra player, it makes the game more one-dimensional and takes a bit of the game away. Chasing 180 on a difficult wicket or 160 on a difficult wicket is a lot more exciting for me personally than chasing 220 on a flat wicket,” he added.Despite criticism from several players, the rule is set to remain for the foreseeable future, with a possible revision not expected until after the 2027 season.“It will be there till 2027. It’s something we also talked about yesterday in the captain’s meeting. I understand it makes the game a bit more fun, but we’ll see. It’s there. It’s up to them what the BCCI does, they’ll decide, but I personally don’t like it,” Gill said.
