Tushar Despande becomes first ‘Impact Player’ of TATA IPL 2023

Tushar Despande becomes first Impact Player:Tushar Deshpande made Indian Premier League history by becoming the league’s first “Impact Player.”  Ambati Rayudu was replaced by Deshpande during Friday’s IPL 2023 season opener between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.  

Soon after the Gujarat innings began, the home team also made a substitution, dispatching Sai Sudarshan in place of Kane Williamson. While attempting to prevent Ruturaj Gaikwad’s shot from hitting for a six, the New Zealand superstar hurt himself. He needed assistance getting off the floor. 

Deshpande, who had earlier played for the Delhi Capitals, was bought by CSK for Rs 20 lakh during the 2022 IPL auction. 

What is ‘Impact Player’ rule? 

An impact player is a replacement who can both the bat and the ball, effectively converting an eleven-a-side game into a 12 vs 12 match and changing the way teams have typically balanced themselves. 

As a result of the “Impact Player” rule, teams are now permitted to substitute a player into the starting lineup at any time during the contest. The replacement player has the ability to bat, and bowl, and field but not to captain the team. 

The experiment was tried in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) T20 competition in 2022, with various degrees of success. 

Impact Players on 1st TATA IPL 2023 match  

Prior to the game, the team selected Tushar Deshpande, Subhranshu Senapati, Shaik Rasheed, Ajinkya Rahane, and Nishant Sindhu as their five substitutes. KS Bharat, Jayant Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Abhinav Manohar, and B Sai Sudharsan were listed by GT as their replacements.  

The Board for Cricket Control in India (BCCI) tested the Impact Player rule during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy competition before implementing it for the first time in this year’s event. 

Overall, Deshpande and Sudarshan’s pick as the inaugural Impact Player for the IPL 2023 shows the growing significance of player versatility in contemporary cricket. Using this new rule, teams can insert a specialist player to alter the dynamics of a match and possibly tip the balance in their advantage.