IPL 2026: Has the Impact Player rule destroyed the balance between bat and ball? Score approaching 300 runs becomes a matter of concern

News India Live, Digital Desk: The bugle for the world’s biggest cricket league, IPL 2026 has been sounded. But this time along with the excitement, there is also a big question in the minds of experts and former cricketers, are we watching cricket or just counting the boundaries? The way runs have been scored in recent seasons has put a question mark on the fundamental spirit of the game (contest between bat and ball).1. Impact Player Rule: ‘Call’ for bowlers? The ‘Impact Player’ rule, introduced in the year 2023, has changed the face of the game. Depth in batting: Due to this rule, teams are now playing specialist batsmen till number 8 or 9. Batting without fear: Batsmen no longer have the fear of falling wickets, because they know that there is another ‘impact’ batsman behind them. This is the reason that ‘hitting’ starts from the very first ball. Decline of all-rounders: Veterans like Axar Patel and Rohit Sharma have also expressed concern that this rule is ending the role of all-rounders, because teams are now giving priority to ‘specialist’ players. 2. Not 200, now even 250+ is not safe! Statistics are witness to the fact that the number of high-scoring matches in IPL has increased rapidly: 2022: Only 12.1% of the innings had a score of 200+. 2025: This figure increased to 36.6%. Prediction of 2026: Veterans like Ravichandran Ashwin believe that the magical figure of 300 runs can also be crossed this season. Is.3. SRH vs RCB: Will the records be broken again? In the opening match of the season (SRH vs RCB), two teams which are known for their explosive batting are clashing. Sunrisers Hyderabad, which had scored a huge score of 287 runs last season, is coming with the same ‘ultra-aggressive’ mindset this time too. Chinnaswamy’s short boundary and flat pitch is going to be no less than a nightmare for the bowlers.4. What do experts say? While fans love the rain of fours and sixes, cricket pundits believe that: “If the bowlers have no way to escape, the game will lose its relevance. A good match is one where even 160 runs can be defended in an exciting manner.”