IPL | Impact Player rule supports teams more in second innings: Mithali Raj

Delivering in style: Pathirana’s spell against MI showed what an Impact Player can do.
| Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI

 Former India women’s cricket captain Mithali Raj said that the new Impact Rule of substituting a player of the team management’s choice at any given point of time in the on-going IPL had helped the teams more so in the second innings.

“It does support a team which swaps a bowler in the second innings,” Mithali said during a interaction with media on Monday.

On Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Mithali felt it had a daunting task to make it to the play-offs because of weaknesses in the bowling department.

“Batting strength is good but even there except for Virat Kohli and the finisher Dinesh Karthik no one else is supporting Kohli.” “I don’t see any bowler whom you can say would win the match with one spell for RCB in this IPL. The only option for it is to shuffle around with the existing bowling resources for better results,” Mithali said. “RCB needs quality spinners badly in the later part of IPL,” she added.

Mithali said she was most impressed with 22-year-old Riyan Parag’s batting for Rajasthan Royals. “He has not done that great in the last few seasons and to overcome that and perform like the way he is doing now is amazing.”

“Kohli should be there in the T20 World Cup because of his class, experience and consistency. Definitely, his form at the top of the order for RCB does throw options to the Indian team management and it is for the captain and others to take a call whether he should bat at No. 3 or as an opener as Shubman Gill is already being there,” Mithali explained.

On leggie Yuzvendra Chahal, the former India captain said he should be picked on current form for the coming T20 World Cup but again depends on the captain’s comfort and confidence.