‘DEGENERATION-X!’ – Netizens mock umpire’s impact player introduction signal for IPL 2023

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The 16th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, is scheduled to begin on March 31, as the fans wait to see the world’s biggest T20 league in action once again. With the start of the T20 carnival, comes the inclusion of several new rules. One of the most significant rule changes that will be implemented in the IPL in 2023 is the addition of the impact player.

The rule allows the teams to add five substitute players apart from the regular playing XI. With the new rule set to be implemented, in the latest development, the tournament revealed the official signal that the umpires will have to put up that will indicate the use of the impact players. Umpires will need to cross their hands above their heads and clench their fists to signal the impact substitution.

What is the Impact Player rule?

The 2023 IPL will be the first edition of the competition to implement the impact player rule. It is to be noted that the impact player can only be an Indian unless the team has fewer than four overseas players in its starting XI. Every team will name five substitutes at the toss, and they can bring in any of those five subs to bat or bowl, hence using the sub as their impact player. The addition of the impact player rule is sure to have a massive influence on how the matches in the tournament are played.

It will be interesting to see which players will be named as substitutes and come in as potential impact players and make a positive impact for their side. With the release of the signal for the impact player rule, the IPL and BCCI came under a lot of fire from the fans, who ridiculed the signal on Twitter, comparing it to various actors and films along with some popular cricket stars.

Here’s how Twitter reacted to the Impact Player signal: