IPL 2023: Impact Player Rule Is Advantageous To Teams While Chasing, Feels Wriddhiman Saha

New Delhi: The impact player rule in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 has garnered a lot of attention. While for some, it has played a crucial role in changing the course of the game, for others, it has been a flop show.

Gujarat Titans wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha felt the rule has been advantageous for the batting side so far and is helping in chase. Its a similar kind of rule like the super-sub. So far, it has been batter-oriented baring a few occasions,” Saha said on Friday in a virtual interaction.

“I feel it (impact player rule) gives more advantage to the team batting second as they get a bit of depth while chasing,” added the former Bengal glovesman. Rajasthan Royals’ Dhruv Jurel against Punjab Kings and Titans’ Sai Sudharsan against CSK are major examples.

Having said that, Saha also spoke in favour of bowlers as impact players citing the Kolkata Knight Riders’ Suyash Sharma as the prime example who bamboozled Royal Challengers Bangalore with his three wickets on Thursday at Eden Gardens.

“We saw in the last match how KKR used Suyash Sharma as an impact player and he took three wickets. So yeah, it gives the teams an extra option to plan against the opposition,” added the India veteran.

The right-hander from Siliguri also spoke highly of Delhi Capitals’ Abishek Porel who became the third wicketkeeper from Bengal after Saha and Sreevats Goswami to play in the IPL. Saha said this might be a life-changing moment for the 20-year-old.

“Obviously he had the potential and that’s why he was a standby in India’s U-19 World Cup squad in 2022. For the last two years he has been with the Bengal squad and he has performed there.

“His entry in the Delhi Capitals dressing room is a reward of that. This will a life changing moment for him and hopefully he continues in the same vein,” added Saha, who has played 40 Tests and nine ODIs for India.