Mitchell Starc thinks the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA won’t see as many high-scoring games as the ongoing India premier leadge season. In the IPL, teams are scoring lots of runs, sometimes even reaching 200 runs, which used to be considered safe. But Starc believes the T20 World Cup will be different, with both batting and bowling having a fair chance.
According to Starc, one reason for this is that international cricket doesn’t have the Impact Player rule like the IPL does. This rule allows teams to bring in a 12th player during IPL matches, often leading to high scores. But in international cricket, teams can only rely on their 11 players, making captains think more strategically. Starc noticed this difference while playing in the IPL.
Since its introduction in the 2023 IPL season, the Impact Player rule has received mixed feedback. While it gives chances to new talents, some criticize it for changing the game’s dynamics. For instance, KKR once used this rule to send out a batsman instead of a bowler when they were struggling in a recent match, which helped them score more runs.
Starc sees IPL batsmen shine; credits Impact Player rule.
Starc agrees that batsmen have been doing exceptionally well in the IPL, but he believes the Impact Player rule has also contributed to this by strengthening batting lineups.
Despite a slow start, Starc performed well in a recent IPL match, taking four wickets. He credits this success to assessing the conditions and adapting his bowling accordingly.
Starc, who usually prefers playing for Australia over joining franchise leagues like the IPL, decided to play this season to prepare for the T20 World Cup. He’s confident that the gap between the IPL and the World Cup won’t affect his fitness.
Other players, like MI Piyush Chawla, also talked about the Impact Player rule, praising Kolkata Knight Riders’ use of it in a match. Although MI have faced several defeats this season, Chawla believes it’s not just one aspect of their game failing but the team as a whole, which he sees as part of the ups and downs of T20 cricket.