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New Delhi, April 28: The Impact Player rule has once again become a major tactical feature of the Indian Premier League 2026 season, with franchises regularly using substitutions to strengthen their batting or bowling combinations depending on match situations.
Introduced in IPL 2023, the rule allows each team to name five substitute players before the start of a match, from which one can be brought in as the designated Impact Player during specific natural breaks in the game.
These include the start of an innings, after the fall of a wicket, at the end of an over, or when a batter retires.
In most cases, the substitute must be an Indian player unless the team has not already fielded its full quota of four overseas players in the starting XI. Once replaced, the outgoing player cannot take any further part in the match. Unlike concussion substitutes, which are injury-based, the Impact Player is a purely tactical replacement aimed at improving team balance.
The first-ever use of the rule in IPL history came during the opening match of the 2023 season when Chennai Super Kings replaced Ambati Rayudu with Tushar Deshpande against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad.
Since then, the rule has become one of the most discussed strategic elements in the tournament.
This season, several teams have relied heavily on the rule. Sunrisers Hyderabad have frequently replaced Travis Head depending on match situations, while Delhi Capitals have repeatedly used Sameer Rizvi and later Karun Nair and Ashutosh Sharma to strengthen their middle order. Royal Challengers Bengaluru have also rotated players like Devdutt Padikkal, Suyash Sharma, Jacob Bethell and Rasikh Salam through the system.
Punjab Kings have often turned to Priyansh Arya and Nehal Wadhera, while Rajasthan Royals have consistently used Ravi Bishnoi and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as their preferred Impact Player options. Chennai Super Kings have repeatedly brought in Akeal Hosein and Sarfaraz Khan depending on conditions.
Some teams have also chosen not to use the rule in certain matches, notably Rajasthan Royals in their early clash against Chennai Super Kings and both Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings in Match 12, showing that franchises are also selective about when the tactical substitution truly offers an advantage.
Mumbai Indians have used players like Sherfane Rutherford, Suryakumar Yadav and Ashwani Kumar, while Gujarat Titans have frequently relied on Prasidh Krishna, Rahul Tewatia and Shahrukh Khan for flexibility.
Lucknow Super Giants have rotated Ayush Badoni, George Linde and Himmat Singh, while Kolkata have alternated between Finn Allen, Varun Chakravarthy and Angkrish Raghuvanshi.
As IPL 2026 moves deeper into the league stage, the Impact Player rule continues to influence team selection and match outcomes, often becoming the difference between victory and defeat. With franchises now fully adapted to the tactical possibilities it offers, the substitute bench has become almost as important as the starting XI itself. (Agencies)
