I think Impact Player rule does make it quite confusing: Sam Curran

Sam Curran. (Source -IPL/BCCI)

Punjab Kings had a lacklustre outing in the Indian Premier League 2024. They were the second team to get eliminated after Mumbai Indians. Things did not go their way after they lost the services of their captain, Shikhar Dhawan midway due to injury. Their opening pair became a headache and they tried different combinations that did not yield result. Moreover, they could not utilise the Impact Player rule to the fullest.

PBKS’ stand-in captain, Sam Curran himself opened the batting on many occasions. They had no proper player who could leverage the Impact Player rule and the team suffered big time. Curran had opined on the rule and said that it had made a huge difference to the game. He also said that the rule itself is a bit more confusing.

“I guess the fans and people watching at home would love to just keep seeing lots of sixes, but I think the Impact Player rule has made a huge difference. With the bat, it allows players to go fractionally more attacking at the top of the order because they know if it doesn’t go to plan, you are most likely to just bring in that extra batter at No. 7 or 8. In a way, it has probably helped the scores and how the players are playing, but vice versa, if you bat well, it allows an extra bowler to be in when you are defending,” said Curran as quoted by SportStar.

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“So, there are pros and cons for each team. I think it does make it quite confusing, as it shifts the focus from 11 players and requires more tactical analysis. The rule has been here for a couple of seasons. Who knows what they will do with it? But it certainly has increased the scoring. The way batsmen are developing has been fantastic to watch, but the challenge of keeping it fair between the bat and the ball will always be a debate,” he added.

English players draw flak for leaving IPL 2024 mid-way

However, Curran remained unavailable for PBKS’ last two league games. He flew to England as his national side takes on Pakistan in a T20I series, starting today. Moreover, the likes of Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, and Will Jacks too left for England even though their respective teams are in IPL 2024 Playoffs. The move did not sit well with former Indian cricketers, Sunil Gavaskar and Irfan Pathan, as they criticized English players for their decision.