'Doesn’t make sense': Dinesh Karthik on scrapping Impact Player rule before IPL 2027

The Impact Player rule has remained one of the most debated aspects of the Indian Premier League, with questions over its influence on team strategies, high-scoring contests and India's ability to develop quality all-rounders. Royal Challengers Bengaluru's batting coach and mentor Dinesh Karthik has acknowledged the rule's shortcomings but believes the IPL should retain it for the 2027 season before deciding its future.

Karthik argued that removing the rule before the conclusion of the current IPL cycle would be unfair to franchises that have assembled their squads keeping the additional player in mind. While admitting that the rule has gradually lost its relevance, he stressed that any decision to discontinue it should be taken only after the completion of the ongoing cycle. Speaking to Cricbuzz, the former India wicketkeeper-batter explained why maintaining consistency in the tournament's playing conditions is crucial, even as concerns grow over the long-term impact of the rule.

"When it first came on (Impact Player rule), it was very good because there were high-scoring games and there were a lot of teams that were almost chasing it down. But strangely, this last season, there were not too many close games.

"It just felt like one team scored a lot, and another team ended up chasing it down. And if you look at how the impact player rule has impacted the IPL, it was quite positive at the start. But slowly but steadily, it started losing the charm and the reason why it was there," Karthik told Cricbuzz.

He highlighted that the rule has made an impact on India not being able to produce many all-rounders. "It helped make the game more high-scoring than what it was. But it definitely decreased the chances of India as a cricketing country producing all-rounders," he said before wanting the rule to stay this season.

"But what I wouldn't want is it to be scrapped for this season because teams have been picked with having an impact player in mind. So it makes a lot of sense.

"When you pick a team, you're picking a team based on 12 players that you're going to play. Now suddenly if you make it 11, there could be a team which is obviously not as strong as a 12 but much better as an 11, and it is an unfair advantage, and it's something that they could do away with after the end of this season.

"But in general, I do feel it was quite good at the start, but right now it's losing the relevance and importance that it probably provided for the fans and for the players as well," he added.

Karthik further stated that a rule should be brought before the start of the cycle and scrapped after the cycle ends, consolidating his claim of why he wants the rule to stay until 2027, which will also bring curtains to the three-year cycle.

"But I just feel that, as a rule, whatever new rule you want to bring in, you need to bring it in at the start of a cycle and do away with it at the end of a cycle if you don't want to (continue). First of all, this impact player rule was brought in in between and then to do away with it in the middle of one, I don't think makes sense. That's all I would say," he added.