Rohit Sharma’s Impact Player Role Due to Back Stiffness In IPL 2024; Starc On Impact Rules
Rohit Sharma assumed the role of Impact Player for Mumbai Indians’ match against Kolkata Knight Riders due to “mild back stiffness,” as revealed by Piyush Chawla during a post-match press conference.
Despite Rohit’s 11 off 12 balls in MI’s chase of 170, the team faced their eighth defeat in 11 games, placing them in ninth position and their playoff hopes in jeopardy.
On a two-paced Wankhede pitch, MI was unable to reach the target of 170 runs, despite Rohit scoring 11 off 12 balls. Their chances of making the playoffs are in shambles as they are in ninth place after their eighth loss in their last 11 games. When asked what MI still had to play for, Chawla was direct.
“For the pride and the reputation,” he remarked, adding that sometimes you don’t know when you’re going to make it onto the field or not. We are playing for your name, which is what you have to play for.”
The bright spot for Chawla throughout the game was that he surpassed Dwayne Bravo’s record of 183 wickets to become the second-highest wicket-taker in the IPL.
Rinku Singh was caught and bowled by Chawla with the opening ball of the game to get him there. When asked about his record, Chawla replied: “It has been a beautiful journey because IPL started 17 years back and at that time nobody gave that much preference to the spinners, but now if you see that in top few wicket-takers from India are all the spinners, [R] Ashwin, Yuzi [Yuzvendra Chahal], myself, so it’s a good feeling.”
Also Read: Rohit Sharma’s Record-Breaking 264: A Masterclass in ODI Cricket As India Dominated Sri Lanka
Mitchell Starc on Impact Rules
claims that, with the T20 World Cup beginning just one week after the IPL, scoring rates are not expected to be this high.
Mitchell Starc has had a mixed experience in the IPL 2024. At INR 24.75 crore, he was the most expensive selection in IPL history, but he was also struggling with the ball. In his first eight appearances, Starc had only seven wickets at an economy of 11.78, having given more than fifty runs three times in an edition that is witnessing an unprecedented high scoring rate.
He recovered on Friday, taking 4 for 33 in the Kolkata Knight Riders’ 24-run victory over the Mumbai Indians. He said that the bowlers’ inflated figures this season were partly due to the Impact Player rule.
“There is a significant change in the Impact Player rule,” Starc stated during the news conference. “Having a batting and bowling XI allows everyone to bat much deeper. Because of the nature of the wickets and the grounds we play on here, this rule has been invoked frequently throughout the tournament and many big scores have been achieved. It’s a long batting lineup when you have batters and batting all-rounders coming in at Nos. 8 or 9.
When all you need to do to win the powerplay is clear the infield and score runs, there’s no need to be afraid. Don’t get me wrong, there has been some very excellent batting, but more than just the rules are involved. Some incredible runs, some incredible teamwork, and some solo batting mastery have all occurred.”
A full ball that thudded against Ishan Kishan’s front pad but was rolling down the leg side marked the start of Starc’s tenure against MI. Following a four and a six from Kishan, Starc took revenge by flattening his leg stump. Then, with the last over remaining, he returned and finished with his best season-long stats, taking three wickets.
He remarked, “I haven’t changed all that much.” It’s about evaluating the situation following the opening innings. We did talk about it, and during that first innings, the batsmen who were removed acknowledged the wicket and the lengths that presented the greatest challenge. That produced our bowling schedule.
Since T20 cricket doesn’t often go as planned, I naturally wanted things to go a little better from the beginning. Not every bowler, though, is aiming for runs like me. That’s just the way things are. We are playing some excellent cricket, placing second on the points table, and are advancing into the bigger games later on. Hopefully, I can be a part of it too.” The IPL and the T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies are only one week apart. Starc, though, seems unconcerned about his workload.
“It’s T20 cricket, it’s not as demanding as Test match cricket,” he stated. “It’s a great lead-up to play here in the world’s top T20 league, and there are no physical issues. Before the World Cup, you’re playing some excellent cricket; many of the players from this competition will represent their country in the World Cup.
“Seeing and testing your skills is a terrific thing in that aspect. That’s just a fact of life when it comes to international cricket. My primary goal is to perform in Lucknow in two days. Right now, the focus is on assisting KKR in winning the event as the World Cup is scheduled for next month.”
In contrast to the IPL, where totals above 200 have been typical, Starc anticipates that the T20 World Cup will offer a more level playing field for bat and ball.
It remains to be seen whether the absence of an Impact Player rule in international cricket influences the scores. It most likely will, in my opinion. Individuals discuss the team’s balance when adding more members isn’t an option. Your all-around players resume their duties. When you have merely 11 players, captains also need to consider some tactical considerations. Being able to witness that directly in the IPL has been interesting.”
The “exciting, young group” of quick bowlers at KKR was also praised by Starc. Prior to his one-match suspension, Harshit Rana participated in every game and claimed 11 wickets at an economy rate of 9.78. In six appearances, Vaibhav Arora has claimed nine wickets at a 9.42 average.
Regarding his dealings with them, Starc remarked, “I am a bit older and more experienced, but I haven’t played a lot of T20 cricket.” In a sense, it’s about feeding off of one another.
“I’m not there to give instructions; instead, I’m pleased to help with any questions people may have, set a better example at training, and complete my task. We have a decent-sized group, and it’s fun to hang out with all of the staff and players.
“I like to think of myself as personable, which is why I enjoy working out with the guys. The previous night, while we were training, I made Harshit Rana run more, which made him unhappy (laughs). However, it’s a fantastic group, and we frequently have a terrific time.”
