Why are IPL teams going for all-rounders? Is the end of Impact Player rule a reason behind franchises opting for all-rounders over specialists
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Why are IPL teams going for all-rounders? Is the end of Impact Player rule a reason behind franchises opting for all-rounders over specialists originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- The only completed four-player swap of this window sent two seamers out and brought two all-rounders in.
- Hardik Pandya is set to join PBKS, while Sam Curran and Romario Shepherd have all been linked with moves.
- Reports suggest the Impact Player rule could be scrapped after IPL 2027 season.
Why are IPL teams going for all-rounders in this trade window?
Chennai Super Kings made the most interesting move of this window when they sent Khaleel Ahmed and Nathan Ellis, two specialist seamers, to Sunrisers Hyderabad, and took all-rounders Liam Livingstone and Jack Edwards in exchange.
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The most talked-about move of the IPL 2027 trade window also involves an all-rounder, as India star Hardik Pandya is set to join Punjab Kings. Both MI and Punjab are set to confirm that Pandya left Mumbai on Tuesday, while Arshdeep came the other way.
Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Rajasthan Royals have also been discussing a Romario Shepherd-for-Sam Curran swap, which is a like-for-like trade.
Set against the three seasons that preceded it, there is clearly a reverse trend. Since 2023, squads have been built around specialists because of the Impact Player rule, which allowed teams to add an extra player in between matches.
MORE: Hardik Pandya-Arshdeep Singh trade: What do MI and PBKS stand to gain from the deal
Will the IPL Impact player rule be scrapped?
The future of the Impact player rule has been under review since the conclusion of the IPL 2026 campaign. The BCCI wrote to all ten franchises seeking formal feedback before the August 31 deadline, and the subject came up again at the IPL Governing Council meeting, with chairman Arun Dhumal saying only that the matter was under discussion and a call would follow after consulting stakeholders.
Sachin Tendulkar urged the board to drop it. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel and Shubman Gill have all raised the same objection: that the rule devalues genuine all-rounders by letting teams field a specialist for every job.
The board's own behaviour has been contradictory. In late September 2024, it confirmed the Impact Player would run through the 2025-2027 cycle. Two weeks later, it scrapped the rule from the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the competition that was used to trial it in the first place.
The latest indications are that the rule will stay for the IPL 2027 campaign, however, it could be scrapped before IPL 2028 and its mega-auction.
Is the end of the Impact Player rule a reason behind franchises opting for all-rounders over specialists
While there is no confirmation on scrapping the Impact Player rule after IPL 2027, the franchises might be planning their current transactions with the IPL 2028 mega-auction in mind.
Teams like PBKS and CSK, who are going after ace all-rounders like Pandya and Patel, have started to focus on rebuilding their teams, and once the Impact Player rule is scrapped ahead of the mega-auction, more teams will sign all-rounders instead of focusing only on specialists.
Also, traditionally in T20 cricket, all-rounders have been the backbone of teams, be it international or domestic, and it only makes sense for the franchises to invest heavily in players who can perform both duties with equal capability.
MORE: Can any player refuse to be traded in IPL?
List of all-rounders in each IPL team listed
TeamAll-roundersNo. of all-roundersRCBKrunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd2GTJason Holder, Washington Sundar, Jayant Yadav3SRHBrydon Carse, Nitish Kumar Reddy2RREmanjot Singh Chahal, Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, Donovan Ferreira4PBKSMarcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Hardik Pandya*4DCAjay Mandal, Axar Patel2KKRRachin Ravindra, Anukul Roy, Cameron Green, Rovman Powell, Ramandeep Singh5CSKShivam Dube, Dian Forrester, Zak Foulkes, Shreyas Gopal4MINaman Dhir, Will Jacks, Raj Bawa, Mitchell Santner, Corbin Bosch6LSGAiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, George Linde, Arjun Tendulkar6*Hardik Pandya deal to PBKS is all but confirmed
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