What lessons can IPL teams learn from Syed Mushtaq Ali experience of Impact Player rule?

We are at that time of the year where the IPL horn will scream across our living rooms. The tournament drags along something new each year; the introduction of Impact Player (IP) rule will spice up this 16th edition. For a game that has remained 11 vs 11 since it came into being, this IPL, it can be 12 vs 12, if the coaches and captain desire.
In Gen Z language, it’s like a swap card in the card game Uno. While the IPL’s playing conditions give the captains the liberty to name the XI and the five substitutes after the toss, the real challenge for them to make full use of the IP is when exactly they can bring him on.
Considering Australia’s Big Bash, which created the first avatar of Impact Player rule with its ‘X-factor’, has scrapped it late last year, it appears it’s not an easy toy for teams to play with. In BBL a player could be introduced after the 10th over of the game to replace a batter or, for the fielding team, a bowler who has bowled no more than one over. But the constraints it had, the concept never really took off.
And ahead of the last year’s Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s, the BCCI introduced the Impact Player concept in India, where teams were allowed to name three substitutes with the proviso that they have to use IP before the commencement of the 14th over of an innings. In case a team nominated an IP and was not able to use him in the first innings, there was provision to replace him.
IPL umpire signal for impact sub. (Special arrangement)
Amol Muzumdar, who was coach of the Mumbai team that won the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 (SMAT) which had the Impact Player rule in place, explained the challenges.
“It needs understanding, lot of practice. I quite liked it; to be frank I enjoyed it. We had a camp at NCA, where they experimented with emerging India players. I was quite aware of it SMAT. But it needs a lot of game awareness.
“It is an impulsive decision and it brings in a lot of anxiety… whether to introduce, or hold it back, or name someone else. Since you have five options to choose from, you can play your cards wisely. You will have to decide who can be the IP based on the requirements of the team,” Muzumdar told The Indian Express.
For the IPL, after receiving feedback from captains and coaches at the SMA T20, the BCCI has tweaked the formula a bit to make it easier. For instance, at the SMA T20, teams had to introduce the Impact Player before the 14th over, if not they had no chance of using him. “In the final, I had nominated an impact player at No 7, but he couldn’t come on because Shreyas Iyer got out in the second ball of the 14th over. We played only 11 players, but Himachal were able to use 12 players,” Muzumdar said.

Time for a New season 😃
Time for a New rule 😎
How big an “impact” will the substitute player have this edition of the #TATAIPL 🤔 pic.twitter.com/19mNntUcUW
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) December 2, 2022
Over the past few days in their preparatory camps, the IPL teams have been tapping on local Indian players as to how they went about it in the SMA T20s. Even coaches of some of the domestic teams have received calls from overseas players.
And unlike SMA T20, in the IPL, a captain can nominate an IP and bring him in before the start of an innings; at the end of an over; and at the fall of a wicket or when a batter retires. In case of a bowler, if he comes on during a fall of a wicket in the middle of an over, he won’t be allowed to bowl that over. While bringing an Impact Player might sound easy, there are a lot of factors to consider.
During the SMA T20s, despite all the inherent complications, teams found a way to be imaginative with using the Impact Player.
Consider the game between Gujarat (162/7) and Saurashtra (164/7). Chasing a competitive total, Saurashtra lost their openers in the first six overs. It was a no-brainer to get an extra batsman as the IP. In came Parth Chauhan, who hit a 16-ball 25 with two sixes. Saurashtra, thanks to the new rule, managed to cross the tricky total with an over to spare.
Saurashtra’s coach Neeraj Odedra details the learning from that game. “In case we were batting first and lost the openers in the first six overs or lost quick wickets before the first 10, we would draft in a special batsman, ideally an opener. In contrast, if our openers got the team off to a decent start, I would go for an all-rounder who can pinch hit and also be a handy bowler in the death overs. While chasing, it is simple. If you lose quick wickets, you opt for a batsman as Impact Player,” Odedra tells this newspaper.
Then there was the case of Tamil Nadu (138) who beat Jharkhand (126/8). Batting first in a must-win contest, Tamil Nadu lost opener Hari Nishaanth in the first over and found themselves at 46/4 at the end of powerplay. With seamers running through the top-order, Tamil Nadu replaced Nishaanth with a batsman Sanjay Yadav, who scored a vital 21.
“Until then we had not used an IP while batting first in the tournament,” says Tamil Nadu’s coach M Venkataramana. “But, at 46/4 in bowler-friendly conditions, bringing Sanjay helped us put a total which we could defend. With his power-hitting game, we had included him as an option to use in the later-half of the innings. But in this case, we had to be flexible and play him even ahead of Washington (Sundar) and Shahrukh (Khan) because they can come at any point of the innings. If I nominate Sanjay and he couldn’t come on to bat till 14th over means, we would have ended up wasting him,” Venkataramana tells this newspaper.
One final example from SMAT: when Bengal (164/6) defeated Tamil Nadu (121/9).
Tamil Nadu ended up on the losing side, but had smartly managed their resources through IP. For a team that is short on seam-bowling options, and rely a lot on spinners, they had to use their IP at the death against Bengal. With Sandeep Warrier not an ideal bowler in the final overs, Tamil Nadu went for Abhishek Tanwar who uses the cutters well and can be handy with the bat while chasing.
This is something most IPL teams would be tempted to try. In case a bowler is not suited for the end overs, they can bring in an IP.
For example, Chennai Super Kings or Sunrisers Hyderabad could bowl Deepak Chahar or Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s quota of four overs at one go and bring in Maheesh Theekshana (provided CSK had picked only 3 overseas players in the XI) or T Natarajan to bowl at the death. this, teams would get maximum out of their two resources without compromising on the balance.
Teams like Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders who could struggle with batting depth or with six bowling options, can maximise their resources with an Impact Player. Moreover, teams can also bring in an extra spinner or a seamer depending on how the conditions behave. For example, at Chepauk, where it usually favours spinners, Lucknow Supergiants may even bring in 40-year-old leg-spinner Amit Mishra just to bowl a few overs if they are defending a total.
Similarly, teams can even nominate just three overseas players and bring the fourth as an IP if he happens to be a one-dimensional player. For example, Chennai can play Devon Conway as opener and bring in Theekshana or Dwayne Pretorious who can contribute with the ball or vice versa.
“You always wanted to pick four overseas players because it gave you an added edge. But now with an Impact Player, in case he happens to be a Mark Wood or Anrich Nortje, they can easily come in place of another Indian player who is handy with the bat. It is an exciting idea and I’m sure it is going to spice up the tournament more,” one of the coaches involved with an IPL team said.