How the Impact Player Rule redefined IPL batting and broke T20 norms

The Indian Premier League has always been a batter’s competition, which hardly comes across as a surprise, as T20 cricket - the format followed in the IPL - in general, is known to favour the willow.

However, the introduction of the Impact Player Rule in the IPL back in 2023 may have done more than just cement the dominance of the bat over the ball.

Data shows that the innovation has fundamentally reshaped the very structure of cricket, taking it beyond what the sport was originally conceived to be.

Irrespective of the format, cricket, in its spirit, was always meant to be a contest between the bat and the ball.

The Impact Player Rule, though, has reshaped an IPL match into what is essentially a battle between two batting units, with bowlers largely reduced to playing a supporting role.

Just three seasons old, the rule has had a severe impact on the game already.

A deep dive into the numbers tells a compelling story of how the Impact Player Rule innovation has supercharged scoring in cricket like never before.

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