Tushar Deshpande Makes History, Becomes First ‘Impact Player’ Of IPL 2023

Tushar Deshpande created history by becoming the first ‘Impact Player’ in the history of the Indian Premier League.  Deshpande replaced Ambati Rayudu for Chennai Super Kings during the IPL 2023 opener against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday. The five substitute players named for the side ahead of the match were – Tushar Deshpande, Subhranshu Senapati, Shaik Rasheed, Ajinkya Rahane, Nishant Sindhu. On the other hand, GT named B Sai Sudharsan, Jayant Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Abhinav Manohar, KS Bharat as their substitutes. The Impact Player rule was implemented for the first time in this year’s edition of the tournament after the Board for Cricket Control in India (BCCI) tested it out during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy tournament.

Here’s a look at all the major rule changes for IPL 2023 –

Playing XIs After Toss: The 16th edition of the league would now see the playing XIs being named after the toss. Earlier, the trend was that the captains of both teams give their team sheets to the match referee before the toss. This would not happen anymore.

Impact Player: The ‘Impact Player’ rule would now see the teams being allowed to substitute a player into the playing XI at any point in the game. The substitute player can bat, bowl and field but would not be able to lead the team as captain.

DRS For Wide, No-Balls: The IPL 2023 season would also see DRS calls being made for wides and no-balls. The players would be allowed to review wide-ball and no-ball calls by the on-field umpires. It is a welcome move, considering the controversies that had erupted in the past few seasons.

Unfair Movement: Wicket-keepers can now be penalised for making ‘unfair movements’ behind the stumps. If a wicketkeeper shuffles before the batter hits the ball, it would be considered an ‘unfair movement’.

Penalty For Slow Over-Rates: Slow over-rates by teams will now warrant a penalty. The 20-over quota has to be finished by a team within 90 minutes. If that doesn’t happen, an extra player would need to be placed inside the 30-yard circle over every over bowled beyond the time limit.