Sanjay Manjrekar Slams IPL Impact Player Rule, Cites Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar has raised serious concerns over the Impact Player rule in the IPL, warning that it could negatively affect the long-term development of young talents like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The 15-year-old Rajasthan Royals sensation has been one of the biggest stories of IPL 2026, scoring 583 runs in 14 matches and playing a key role in Rajasthan Royals reaching the playoffs. But Manjrekar believes the current rule is preventing full assessment of the youngster as a cricketer.

Speaking on Sportstar’s Inside Edge podcast, Manjrekar questioned whether the Impact Player rule was creating one-dimensional players by limiting their involvement in the game. “The more I think about it, the more I feel we need to do away with the Impact Player rule for this very reason,” Manjrekar said. “Is that really what we want to see about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi? To only see one side of his game?”

'A cricketer should contribute across disciplines’

Manjrekar argued that cricket should test players in multiple areas rather than allowing specialists to contribute for only a brief period before sitting out the rest of the contest. “I was just thinking about this when I saw Rohit Sharma in the last game. He scored 22 runs off 15 balls. His entire contribution lasted 15 deliveries,” Manjrekar said. “Yet he'll still receive the full match fee or whatever comes with it. When there’s easy money to be made for very little effort, you have to start questioning that model. That can never be a sustainable, long-term formula for success.”

The former India batter stressed that players should be evaluated beyond just batting or bowling performances. “A cricketer should be someone who contributes across disciplines,” he added. “Earlier, we admired players like Inzamam-ul-Haq not just for their batting, but because we also saw the other side of them in the field. That helped you properly assess and understand the player.”

Manjrekar insisted the bigger concern lies in player development. “I want the game to test players more thoroughly,” Manjrekar said. “If someone is a good bowler, I don't just want to see him bowl four overs. I want to see how he fields as well. The game should examine every aspect of a player, not just one skill in isolation.”