Ravichandran Ashwin weighs in on Impact Player rule in IPL

The Impact Player rule in the Indian Premier League has sparked a new debate since the last season of the marquee tournament. Many players, including Indian skipper Rohit Sharma and former Indian skipper Virat Kohli, have voiced their opinions against the rule that allows teams a cushion of an extra batter or a bowler. 

Veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has also weighed in on the Impact Player rule. However, unlike Virat and Rohit, Ashwin believes that the rule provides value to the strategy. He also believes that the rule should continue to feature in the upcoming season. 

"Why I think the Impact Player rule is not so bad is because it gives a little more value for strategy," Ashwin said on Kris Srikkanth's YouTube show "Cheeky Cheeka".

It's not like they're discouraged because of the Impact Player rule: Ashwin

Some cricketers have argued that the rule discourages upcoming players from taking up all-rounder roles. According to them, players only stick to their primary skill as a result of this rule. 

The Rajasthan Royals all-rounder countered that no one is stopping them from taking up all-round responsibilities and gave the example of Venkatesh Iyer. 

"The other side of that argument is it doesn't encourage allrounders. But no one is stopping them. In this generation, they don't do it [batters bowling and vice-versa]. It's not like they're discouraged because of the Impact Player rule. Look at Venkatesh Iyer, he's currently rocking for Lancashire. There's an opportunity for innovation and it makes the game fairer," he added. 

Meanwhile, Ravichandran Ashwin is expected to return to the Indian team for their two-match Test series against Bangladesh which begins on the 19th of September. The off-spinner was last seen donning the Indian jersey in the Test series against England earlier this year. The series against Bangladesh will be his first assignment under Gautam Gambhir's tenure as head coach.