As the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season unfolds with a flurry of high scores, Mitchell Starc anticipates a different scenario for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA. With nearly two-thirds of the IPL completed, the tournament has seen an unprecedented surge in batting dominance, with teams consistently breaching the 200-run mark. Notably, the 250-run milestone, previously a rarity, has been surpassed multiple times, with Sunrisers Hyderabad even daring to approach the 300-run threshold.

Starc, however, opines that the ICC’s flagship event will likely exhibit a better balance between bat and ball. He attributes this expectation to the absence of the Impact Player rule, which has been a subject of divided opinions since its inception in the 2023 IPL season.

“There’s no Impact Player rule…”

While acknowledging the rule’s role in providing opportunities for uncapped talents, critics have questioned its impact on the traditional 11-vs-11 contest.

“There’s no Impact Player rule (in international cricket), so whether that affects the scores is yet to be seen,” said Starc. “I think it probably will. People talk about the balance of the team when you can’t just bring someone in. Your all-rounders come back into play. Captains have to think a bit tactically, too, when you have just 11 players. It’s been interesting to experience it first-hand in the IPL.”

In a recent IPL match, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) strategically utilized the Impact Player provision to counter a batting collapse, deploying Manish Pandey at a critical juncture. Despite initial skepticism, the move paid off handsomely, as Pandey’s partnership with Venkatesh Iyer laid the groundwork for KKR’s competitive total.

“The Impact Player rule changes things a fair bit. Everyone gets to bat a lot deeper having a batting and a bowling XI. There’s a lot made of that rule throughout the tournament and there’s been a lot of high scores, which is the nature of the wickets and the grounds we play on here. When you have batters and batting allrounders come in at Nos. 8 or 9, it’s a long batting line-up.

“There’s no fear in the powerplay when all you have to do is to clear the infield and score runs. Certainly, there has been some really good batting, don’t get me wrong, it’s not just the rules that play a part there. There’s been some fantastic scoring, some fantastic partnerships and some individual brilliance with the bat,” he added.

Contrasting T20 showdowns

For Starc, the match against Mumbai Indians served as a personal redemption, as he delivered a pivotal four-wicket haul, silencing concerns about his form and economy rate. Despite historically prioritizing international commitments over franchise leagues, Starc’s return to the IPL ahead of the T20 World Cup signifies his confidence in managing the demanding schedule.

Reflecting on the Impact Player concept, Mumbai Indians’ Piyush Chawla commended KKR’s tactical use of the rule while offering insights into his team’s adaptation in player selection. With Mumbai Indians facing a disappointing season, Chawla refrained from singling out specific factors, adopting a philosophical outlook on their predicament.

He said, “I won’t say that it’s just the batting or just the bowling (that is failing), it’s the unit. You must have often heard that T20 cricket is all about momentum and we just didn’t get that momentum going this season. It happens to all teams at some point. It can happen to anyone.”

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As the IPL season progresses towards its conclusion, discussions around the Impact Player rule and its implications continue to resonate, offering a nuanced perspective on the evolving dynamics of modern cricket.