Delhi Capitals (DC) captain Axar Patel opened up about the Impact Player rule ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, which is set to begin on Saturday, March 28. The all-rounder criticized the Impact Player rule for negatively affecting the balance of matches, adding that he is not a fan of it.
In 2024, the BCCI had introduced the Impact Player rule to allow teams to substitute a specialist batter or bowler during matches. While the substitution has led to more aggressive batting performances in the IPL, it has reduced the traditional value of genuine all-rounders throughout the tournament.
I Don’t Like ‘Impact Player’ Rule – Axar Patel
During a recent media interaction, Axar Patel shared his thoughts on the Impact Player rule. Patel said that IPL franchise management now prefers selecting specialist players instead of investing in genuine all-rounders.
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“I don’t like this rule, obviously. Because I’m an all-rounder and because of it… (Laughs) So you know, in batting and bowling… earlier, it used to be that teams would pick all-rounders. Because of this rule, I think every team management goes with either a specialist batsman or a specialist bowler… thinking, ‘what’s the need for an all-rounder?'” Patel said.
VIDEO | Spinner Axar Patel says, “Rules are rules, but I am not a fan of the impact player.”
(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/hPzGLezLXV
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 23, 2026
We Can Only Control What’s In Out Hands – Axar Patel
Axar Patel said he did not like the rule as an all-rounder. However, he added that players must accept it and follow it since it is beyond their control.
“So I think because of that… as an all-rounder myself, I really didn’t like that rule. But at the same time, you know, we can only control what’s in our hands. If a rule is there, we have to follow it. But speaking from a personal view, I just didn’t like it,” he added.
It Wasn’t Because of the Impact Player – Axar Patel
The DC skipper stated that he bowled less last season due to a finger injury sustained during the Champions Trophy, not because of the Impact Player rule. He resumed full bowling only after recovering midway through the tournament.
“No, no, it wasn’t because of the impact player. That was after the Champions Trophy… I think the Champions Trophy was right before it… During the Champions Trophy, my spinning finger got cut. So because of that, when I resumed bowling, the seam of the ball kept cutting into it further, and the cut got a bit deep. Due to that, I wasn’t able to apply pressure on the ball; I couldn’t get that rotation,” Patel said.
“Because of that, I was bowling less. I was trying my best to bowl only if it was absolutely necessary, otherwise, you know, I wanted to save my finger. But after 7 matches, once my finger completely healed, I continued bowling in almost all the games. So, it wasn’t because of the impact player.”
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