IPL 2023: Venkatesh Iyer has been in red-hot form with the bat with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) using him as an “Impact Player” in all five games, and the all-rounder feels the new rule has kind of lessened the utility of all-rounders.
“Honestly, with the coming of the Impact Player rule, the number of overs an all-rounder is bowling has dropped down drastically. Obviously, if a team have a specialist bowler as their sixth bowler and then they don’t want to try their all-rounder. This is what the Impact Player rule has brought. It has lessened the utility of all-rounders,” Iyer told the reporters ahead of KKR’s match against Delhi Capitals.
A real quality allrounder remains valuable even with this impact rule, however. On Tuesday, Cameroon Green starred with the bat and the ball, taking out the important wicket of Aiden Markram, and then bowling a great penultimate over, where he conceded just 2 runs (and 2 leg byes) to all but seal the game.
Iyer said that all the teams have now accustomed to this new Impact Player rule, and it has that X-factor.
“It’s a very interesting rule that has come into place. If you are playing in the IPL, the think tank is so big in every team that I guess they might have figured it out in the very first match itself. By now, everyone knows how to use the Impact Player. If you see the results, the Impact Players are turning out to be an X factor,” he said.
The 28-year-old all-rounder, who suffered a freak injury during the domestic season when he twisted his ankle, says he is fit to bowl and has been given clearance by the National Cricket Academy (NCA).
“I am 100 per cent ready to bowl. I was given clearance by the NCA, and they don’t clear you unless you have recovered,” he said.
“The most pleasing thing is not the runs, I am scoring, the thing is that I am back on the field and playing in such a big tournament. Scoring and all is secondary, I am truly grateful to the almighty that I am just able to play because six months back, I didn’t think that I would be able to do it,” he added.
Iyer also compared the two white-ball formats; he feels that the two new balls make ODI more tricky, but there’s a similarity when it comes to stroke making.
“With the two new balls, fielding restrictions are more in the 50 over. I think there’s a lot of difference tactically also in 50 over and T20 but in white-ball formats are very similar when it comes to stroke making.
“The way teams are looking at run rate is pretty much similar. Any target is achievable, be it 20 over or 50 over. In the last 10 overs, players back themselves to chase down 120 runs. It was not the case a few years back,” he said.
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