What is Impact Player Rule? How it works in Indian Premier League?

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 started on a great note with an opening ceremony where Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan was seen shaking his legs with Virat Kohli and Rinku Singh.

After the fun-filled ceremony, the game between the reigning champions, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), was entertaining. RCB went on to beat KKR in their own home ground by seven wickets. It was a comfortable win.

The tournament produced some of the best players who represented their country and performed well. While the tournament is all fun and happening, the IPL committee came up with a new rule last year, which is the 'Impact Player'.

This was something very new and confusing at the same time. Also, the Impact Player rule was controversial. In this article, we will talk about the rule, the controversies, and why many senior players opposed it in the previous season of the IPL.

What is Impact Player in IPL?

The Impact Player rule isn't as simple as it might sound. After the toss, the two teams will be given a chance to pick up five players from the squad, out of which one can become their impact player during the game.

Impact Player Rule: Explained

Selection:
Before the toss, each team names five substitute players along with their playing XI. These five are potential Impact Players.

Activation:
During the match, the captain can bring in one of these substitutes at specific points, like the start of an innings, between overs, when a wicket falls, or if a batter retires. This is when the Impact Player comes into play, replacing someone from the original XI.

Impact:
Once subbed in, the Impact Player can take full part in the game. They can bat, bowl, and field just like any regular player.

Restriction:
Only one Impact Player can be used per team in a match. And remember, only 11 players can bat in an innings, including the Impact Player.

Key Point:
This rule adds a new strategic twist to the game. Teams can now respond to the match situation—maybe bringing in a bowler if they need quick wickets, or a power-hitter if they’re chasing a big target.

When can the IPL Impact Player be introduced?

During both innings, a team can introduce its impact player and bring them into the field. For instance, if CSK is batting and a wicket goes down, they can bring in Rahul Tripathi as an impact player to bat. In the next innings, he will be out of the field, and only 11 members will be present.

As per the match conditions, the teams can decide whether they want an impact player to replace the main player from the squad or not. This rule was first implemented in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and it came into the Indian Premier League. In 2023, it was first introduced in the IPL, but it wasn't a big hit.

Who is against the Impact Player rule in IPL?

Players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli opposed the Impact Player rule because it was taking away the chances of the all-rounders. While all the teams started using the rule quite frequently, there were only some teams that benefited from the rule because of the presence of strikers.

Who can be the impact player?

The captains can choose five players from the squad to become the impact players. However, they can't directly include them in the team. They have to inform the umpires first in each innings before bringing the players into the field. .

When can the impact player be Indian and overseas?

As per the rule, if the team has a total of four overseas players in their playing XI, they cannot bring in an overseas impact player. They will have to bring an Indian player. If a team has fewer than four overseas players, they can bring in an overseas player as the Impact player.