In India, cricket is more than just a sport – it’s a religion with an unwavering following and the Indian Premier League (IPL) is its grandest and most extravagant festival. With its high-octane matches and star-studded teams, the IPL has captured the imagination of millions of Indians, making it one of the most-watched sporting events in the world.
IPL is already a near-perfect product, with its heady mix of world-class cricket, glitzy entertainment, and high drama. Despite its success, BCCI has been reluctant to tinker with the formula that has made IPL a global phenomenon. However, this season promises to be different. For the first time ever, teams will be able to choose an ‘Impact Player’ – a substitute who can come in to bat and bowl and try to change the course of the match. With this move, the IPL is taking a leaf out of the playbook of other sports like football and basketball, where strategic substitutions are a key part of the game. This promises to add a new dimension to the IPL and keep fans on the edge of their seats throughout the tournament.
So now let’s explore the ‘Impact Player’ rule in greater depth and uncover its intricacies. To start off, captains will now be allowed to finalize their teams after the toss, with two pre-prepared team sheets: one for batting first and one for bowling first. Depending on the toss outcome, the captain will exchange the appropriate team sheet with the opposing captain. (P.S. Knowing Rohit Sharma, he might accidentally hand over the wrong team sheet at least once!!)
In addition to the playing XI, teams will also be required to list four substitutes on their team sheet and can use any one of the four subs as their Impact Player. The Impact Player can be an Indian or Foreigner, depending on the team’s composition, with the foreigner option only available if the team has three or less foreigners starting in their main XI. Captains are allowed to make substitutions during stoppages in play such as before the start of an innings, at the end of an over, or when a wicket falls, or a batter retires. If the bowling side brings in an Impact Player during an over – at the fall of a wicket or if a batter retires – then the player subbed off will not be allowed to take further part in the rest of the game, even as a substitute fielder.
Several IPL teams employ highly paid strategists, but teams like CSK, MI, and KKR are known for their wealth of experience and leadership in this regard. With a shrewd captain like Dhoni at the helm, CSK is likely to have already figured out how to leverage this new rule to their advantage. Given that Mumbai Indians’ star bowler Jasprit Bumrah and new Australian international acquisition Jhye Richardson are already out of the tournament, it is worth exploring how the Mumbai Indians, led by Rohit Sharma, can use the rule to overcome their lack of depth in the bowling department and emerge as title contenders.
Let’s now analyse the strengths and weaknesses of the Mumbai Indians team.
Mumbai Indians’ Potential Winning Formula
Mumbai Indians have a formidable batting line-up, anchored by a strong Indian core comprising of Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Ishan Kishan, complemented by promising youngsters such as Tilak Varma and Nehal Wadhera. They also have the luxury of power hitters like Cameron Green, Tim David, Dewald Brevis, and Tristan Stubbs, making their batting depth the envy of many teams. Unfortunately, due to the four-foreign player rule and Jasprit Bumrah’s injury, it is highly unlikely that more than two foreign batsmen can be included.
MI’s bowling department is weak, with only Jofra Archer as a reliable option – not to forget even he is coming back from a huge injury lay-off. There are currently no replacements announced for Jhye Richardson, leaving Jason Behrendorff, traded from RCB, as the likely starter. If Behrendorff doesn’t work out, Duan Jansen could see more games. The Indian pace bowling options remain untested, with both Arshad Khan and Akash Madhwal delivering mixed performances in the DY Patil T20 Cup. Arshad Khan appears to be slightly ahead of the two in the pecking order. While Hrithik Shokeen, Kumar Kartikeya, and Shams Mulani have done reasonably well in domestic seasons, none of them are guaranteed starters for any other franchise, leaving the Mumbai Indians’ spin-bowling options relatively unproven.
As the Mumbai Indians prepare for another gruelling season of IPL cricket, they’ll need to find creative ways to overcome the challenges posed by the injuries to key players. Here are two effective strategies in my opinion that Mumbai Indians can implement to increase their chances of winning.
Strategy #1: Three Foreigner Line-up
The strategy revolves around maximizing the impact of specialist players, especially the foreigners by fielding only three in their starting line-up. This approach is particularly relevant to a team like Mumbai Indians, who have historically placed greater emphasis on their Indian talent while limiting their starting line-up to only three foreign players.
Although Tim David and Dewald Brevis both bowl useful spin, their effectiveness on Indian wickets is limited, particularly on tracks that are conducive to batting. Furthermore, they cannot be relied upon to bowl their full quota of four overs. Jason Behrendroff could serve as a valuable left-arm pace option in the second innings, replacing either Tim David or Brevis – whichever one starts the game – to help control the flow of runs or take wickets. This strategy can prove effective even if Mumbai Indians end up bowling first on batting-friendly tracks. By taking this strategic approach, Mumbai Indians can enter the game without depending heavily on Jason’s batting, or the bowling of Tim David or Brevis, which are not their strongest attributes.
I would like to see Mumbai Indians make effective use of Cameron Green as a power-play batter, as he has already demonstrated his impact in the T20 format in India. Opening with Green, alongside Ishan, is crucial for Mumbai Indians to post big totals in the tournament. This strategy not only maximizes the potential of the top-order, but also provides a valuable learning opportunity for the uncapped Indian players such as Tilak & Nehal to play alongside an experienced players like Rohit.
Strategy #2: Experience for Impact
While not all games may be played on batting-friendly tracks, some could be more spin-friendly, such as the Chennai wicket. In such scenarios, this strategy becomes even more critical as it offers a more conventional approach to handling the spin conditions.
Call it a coincidence, but two spin veterans who went unsold in the previous season, 40-year-old Amit Mishra (166 wickets) and 34-year-old Piyush Chawla (157 wickets), were both bought at their respective base prices of Rs 50 lakh in the auction. Their India careers may be over, but as they say, experience is king, especially on turning tracks. These two players bring a wealth of experience to the table and could prove to be valuable assets for any team playing on spin-friendly surfaces.
Mumbai Indians’ acquisition of Piyush could prove to be a stroke of genius, as his experience and guile can prove useful on turning tracks, especially in the powerplay overs. As his fielding standards have dropped, they can consider subbing him off if they bowl first and he has completed his overs. On spin-friendly tracks, it may be wiser to have Rohit Sharma open the innings instead of Cameron Green, especially since this is Green’s first IPL season. Rohit’s experience and composure against spin bowling will be invaluable in setting a solid foundation for the team’s innings.
The ‘Impact Player’ rule is seen as a positive step towards creating more opportunities for young and uncapped players, as it allows teams to bring in squad members who may not have been initially selected in the playing XI. While the ‘Impact Player’ rule will make the matches more entertaining, its effectiveness will depend on how effectively and efficiently each team uses it. Ultimately, a team’s success will be determined by how they are able to leverage this rule to their advantage. I am sure the well-paid strategy group of each team must be burning midnight oil to arrive at the best possible solution. Let’s wait & watch and enjoy this innovation in current edition of IPL.