‘I’m not an Impact Player’: MS Dhoni explains why he disagreed with key IPL rule, ‘Wasn’t really needed at that time’

MS Dhoni said that he felt the Impact Player rule wasn’t really required in the IPL when it was implemented. 

The impact player rule’s strange effect on the Indian Premier League (IPL) has been such that there have been as many open calls for it to be removed as there have been acknowledgements of the fact that it has led to many more high-scoring games in the league. Probably the most prominent name to not agree with it fully was Chennai Super Kings icon MS Dhoni. Now, Dhoni has explained why he felt the rule was unrequired when it was implemented.

“When this rule was implemented, I felt it wasn’t really needed at that time. In a way, it helps me, but at the same time, it doesn’t. I still do my wicketkeeping, so I’m not an impact player. I have to be involved in the game,” Dhoni told JioStar.

Virat Kohli had said last season that while he agrees that it is more entertaining for the crowds to see the big scores, he prefers for there to be more balance between bat and ball. Kohli also said that his unusually high strike rate last season was a direct result of the rule, with the top-order batters getting more freedom to go for big shots due to the presence of an extra batter.

Dhoni, however, said that he disagrees with the notion that scores have gone up because of the rule. “A lot of people say the rule has led to more high-scoring games. I believe it’s more due to the conditions and the comfort level of players. The number of runs being scored isn’t just because of an extra batsman,” said Dhoni.

“It’s about the mindset—teams now have the comfort of an extra batter, so they play more aggressively. It’s not that all four or five extra batters are being used—it’s just the confidence of having them. This is how T20 cricket has evolved.”

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