Despite calls for the ‘Impact Player’ rule to be removed, there is still no official word on whether it will be in place for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season or not. Several top stars, including Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, have suggested that they are not big fans of the Impact Player rule. However, some players have also claimed that the ‘Impact Player’ should keep its place for the upcoming season and beyond. India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin backed the Impact Player rule, saying that it adds a bit more value for “strategy”.

“Why I think the Impact Player rule is not so bad is because it gives a little more value for strategy. The other side of that argument is it doesn’t encourage all-rounders. But no one is stopping them,” Ashwin said on Kris Srikkanth’s YouTube show Cheeky Cheeka.

Now, former India pacer Zaheer Khan, who was appointed as the mentor of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), has also thrown his weight behind Ashwin. Zaheer suggested that the ‘Impact Player’ rule has given a huge boost to young Indian players.

“There has been a debate around the impact sub rule. I’m going on record to say that I’m all for it. It has definitely given opportunities to a lot of uncapped Indian talents. It is something you will see this in the mega auction when teams will be looking at them,” Zaheer said at a press conference organised by LSG.

“That opportunity goes a long way with improving Indian cricket on the whole. The time spent in match time, it’s something you cannot beat. That’s the biggest plus.” “As far as all-rounders are concerned, right now there is no space for a half all-rounder because of the impact sub (rule). But if you are a genuine all-rounder, (then) no one can stop you. There is always going to be a value addition with the ability with bat and ball,” he added.

Meanwhile, Kohli said last season that the ‘Impact Player’ rule has disrupted the game’s balance while India skipper Rohit admitted he was “not a big fan” of it.

(With PTI Inputs)