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As teams prepare for a match of utmost importance to both the teams and the fans around the globe, some of you might be thinking about the probable impact players from both teams who can make an unmatchable impact in this match.
Understanding the Impact Player Rule
The Impact Player rule allows teams to substitute one player during a match, enhancing their strategy based on the game’s progress. This flexibility can be used to strengthen either the batting or bowling lineup as needed.
SRH vs RR Today Match Impact Player
Sunrisers Hyderabad: SRH lost Qualifier 1 against KKR and missed the golden opportunity to get a straight entrance into the biggest carnival of India – The IPL Final. SRH’s captain Pat Cummins talked about their decision of using an impact substitute in the first inning itself, which cost them a crucial match. SRH’s decision to play Sanvir Singh over Washington Sundar was criticized a lot during and after the match.
No doubt Sanvir Singh has the caliber to perform well in any match, but he is not used to playing high-pressure matches like Qualifiers of the biggest sports league in India. At that point, SRH needed an experienced player like Washington Sundar who could have taken the inning deep and would not have thrown his wicket away like Sanvir did. This decision was criticized as Sanvir was not used for bowling in the second innings.
Notably, Washington Sundar is a bowling all-rounder who has played as an opener for his TNPL team over the years. Additionally, Sundar is a right-arm finger spinner who could have been an excellent option against left-handers. To prove that, KKR had four left-handers (Narine, V Iyer, Rana, and Rinku) in their top six.
Rajasthan Royals: Now, after an example of a team underutilizing or choosing the wrong player against what the situation demands, let’s move on to Rajasthan Royals, who have been very smart in terms of the impact player rule by keeping a slot open for a foreign player in their playing 11 (i.e., playing with just three overseas players).
Rajasthan played most of the season with just three overseas players and carried the privilege of using any player they wanted to use in their playing 11. No matter if he is an overseas player or an Indian player, Rajasthan Royals can use any player as per the situation. Rajasthan has the privilege to use three foreign players from the substitute players list, which is more than any team in the league as most of the teams can’t even use a single overseas player as an impact substitute because they already start with four overseas players (max limit to have in playing 11).
Rajasthan used Shimron Hetmyer as the substitute player to use him in his natural role of power hitting. Adding to this, Hetmyer is a left-hander, which helped RR to introduce a left-right combination against RCB spinners.
SRH vs RR Impact Players Qualifier 1
Sunrisers Hyderabad
| SRH Players | Probable Impact Player (Batting First) | Probable Impact Player (Bowling First) |
|---|---|---|
| Umran Malik | Jaydev Unadkat | Travis Head |
| Sanvir Singh | Washington Sundar | Glenn Phillips |
| Glenn Phillips | Umran Malik | Washington Sundar |
| Washington Sundar | ||
| Jaydev Unadkat |
Rajasthan Royals
| RR Players | Probable Impact Player (Batting First) | Probable Impact Player (Bowling First) |
|---|---|---|
| Nandre Burger | Yuzvendra Chahal | Yashasvi Jaiswal |
| Shubhman Dubey | Nandre Burger | Donovan Ferreira |
| Donovan Ferreira | Tanush Kotian | Shimron Hetmyer |
| Tanush Kotian | ||
| Shimron Hetmyer |
When and Why Teams Use Certain Players as Impact Substitutes:
Batting First:
Extra Bowler: Teams may keep an extra bowler as an impact substitute when batting first to ensure they have more bowling options to defend their total.
Example: SRH might include Jaydev Unadkat or Washington Sundar as an impact substitute for additional bowling strength.
Bowling First:
Extra Batter: When bowling first, teams might opt for an extra batter as an impact substitute to strengthen their batting lineup for a chase.
Example: RR might use Shimron Hetmyer or Donovan Ferreira to add depth to their batting order.
