The Impact Player rule has been a nightmare for coaches ever since its inception in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2023, allowing a team to substitute one of its players as and when they feel the need for it. Over the past three seasons, the Impact Player rule has been heavily criticised by several big names in the game, but the organisers decided to keep it, making the tournament a better spectacles for the audience.
With just 10 days before the start of IPL 2026, the Impact Player rule has once again started the buzz, this time with Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav in focus. For the majority of IPL 2025, Rohit played as a pure batter. when Mumbai Indians fielded first, Rohit would sit out in the first 20 overs and was then subbed as an Impact Player to open the batting and vice versa.
It must also be noted that Rohit was carrying a niggle in the last season. Asked whether Mumbai Indians would continue to play Rohit as an Impact Player in IPL 2026, head coach Mahela Jayawardene emphasized the former skipper’s impact on the team. “He is still making a huge impact on the team whether he is on the field and off the field,” the Sri Lankan said.
Jayawardene, who had been with Mumbai Indians for six years in a coaching capacity, wants Rohit to be more on the field this year. Not just he’s more fit than last year, but the presence of Rohit would ease a lot of pressure of the shoulders of skipper Hardik Pandya. Not to forget, all five IPL trophies if Mumbai Indians came under the leadership of Rohit.
“But definitely this year, I want to keep him on the field as much as I can. But the thing is when we are rotating the bowlers or the impact player, most of our guys are all-rounders and they do bowl as well,” added Jayawardene.
Mahela Jayawardene puts ball in captain’s court
Having said that, Jayawardene also put the ball in Pandya’s court when it came to playing combinations. “So if the captain needs that option on the field is something I have to look at and discuss, depending the opposition that we are playing,” added the former Sri Lankan captain.
“Now Tilak (Varma) is bowling as well, so he has put his hand up and said I’m available. I can’t take him out. Two guys, who are not all-rounders at the moment are Rohit and Surya,” he concluded. However, Suryakumar played as a complete player in all the matches last season.
Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians have started their pre-season camp on March 16 with Shardul Thakur, Mayank Markande, Allah Ghazanfar, Naman Dhir, Raja Angad Bawa, Robin Minz, Raghu Sharma, Mayank Rawat, Danish Malewar, Mohammad Izhar and Ashwani Kumar joining on the first day.
Mumbai Indians IPL 2026 complete squad
Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ryan Rickleton, Robin Minz, Raj Bawa, Raghu Sharma, Mitchell Santner, Corbin Bosch, Naman Dhir, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, Allah Ghafanzar, Ashwani Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Will Jacks, Sherfane Rutherford, Mayank Markande, Shardul Thakur, Quinton de Kock, Danish Malewar, Mohammad Izhar, Atharva Ankolekar, Mayank Rawat.
