The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is ready to bring something new in IPL. The league has never failed to satisfy the audience, and now the board is keen to bring more excitement.
The story
After revolutionized the concept of T20 cricket with IPL, now the Indian cricket board wants to introduce a Power Player concept in the next edition of the league. According to the concept, teams will be allowed to substitute a player at the fall of a wicket or at the end of an over at any point in the game. A senior BCCI official informed IANS that the concept has already been approved. Now the matter needs to be discussed further in the IPL Governing Council meeting that will take place at the BCCI HQ in Mumbai on Tuesday.
The source said that the concept would be first tried in the Mushtaq Ali Trophy. “We are looking at a scenario where a team will not name the Playing XI. They will announce the 15 and a player can be substituted at either the fall of a wicket or at the end of the over at any point in the game. While we are looking to introduce it in the IPL, trying the concept first in the upcoming Mushtaq Ali Trophy could be the ideal way forward.”
Game changer concept
He further added how the concept can change match situations and induce out-of-the-box thinking. If one needs to accelerate scoreboard, an attacking player can be called up to welcome an onslaught. “Imagine you need 20 runs off the last six balls and you have Andre Russell sitting in the dug-out as he wasn’t a hundred percent and wasn’t part of the original XI. But now, he can just walk in and go slam-bang and win you the game.
Even in case of defending a small amount of run in last over, one can use an effective bowler as a Power Player. “Similarly, say you need to defend six runs off the last over and you have someone like a Jasprit Bumrah sitting in the dug-out. So, what does the captain do? Brings in Bumrah at the end of the 19th over and there you go. The concept has the potential to change the game.”
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