[[{“value”:”
The upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to kick off from March 28.
Ahead of the league, Gujarat Titans` (GT) captain Shubman Gill expressed his views on the `Impact Player` rule. He feels that the rule takes the skills out of the game.
“Personally for me, I don`t think there should be an impact player. I think cricket in general is an 11 players` game and on wickets where we play on the grounds that we play, adding an extra batsman is I think it takes the skill out of the game,” he said.
Further speaking, he said that there is a certain skill that a player needs to have to keep the scoreboard moving despite losing a few wickets.
“There`s a certain skill in the game that you need to have. When you have a certain amount of batters and if a couple of your batters get out, there`s an amount of skill that you need to have to still get the scoreboard moving and get your team to a good score,” said Gill.
The skipper then explained how the chasing becomes exciting without the inclusion of the `Impact Player`.
“With that one extra player, it`s making the game more one-dimensional and it`s taking a little bit of the skill out of the game. Chasing 180 on a challenging wicket or 160 on a challenging wicket is for me, it`s personally way more exciting than chasing 220 on a flat wicket,” he explained.
He concluded by saying that the discussion about the rule was also conducted during the captain`s meet pre-tournament.
“It`s gonna be there till 2027. It`s something that we also spoke about in the captain`s meeting yesterday. I understand it makes the game a bit more entertaining, but let`s see. It`s there. It`s up to them what the BCCI is going to do, they`re gonna take their decision, but personally I don`t like it,” the 26-year-old cricketer signed off.
IPL 2026, Gujarat Titans: First match`s date and venue
GT will begin their IPL 2026 campaign by playing a clash against Punjab Kings (PBKS) on March 31 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh.
(With PTI Inputs)
“}]]
