Sachin Tendulkar Advocates for Three Key Changes to T20 Rules; Urges Elimination of Impact Player Regulation

Batting icon Sachin Tendulkar has advocated for three significant changes in T20 cricket, notably calling for the elimination of the Impact Player rule due to growing concerns over the increasing disparity between bat and ball.

The former captain of India made these comments following a high-scoring IPL 2026 season where totals exceeding 200 were frequently chased down, prompting discussions on whether the format is now disproportionately favoring batters.

Tendulkar pointed to the Impact Player rule as a major contributor to the rise in scoring, arguing for its removal to help restore equilibrium between batting and bowling.
“The Impact Player should be eliminated. That is my personal viewpoint. In a T20 match, you only need to play 20 overs, and by adding another batter to a lineup that already challenges bowlers, it skews the balance,” Tendulkar remarked at the Cricinfo Honours.

The cricketing legend also suggested a notable change to powerplay rules. Rather than the existing six-over batting powerplay at the start of an innings, he proposed splitting it into four overs of batting powerplay and two overs of bowling powerplay.

According to his suggestion, the fielding captain would have the flexibility to deploy the bowling powerplay at any point during the innings, potentially introducing new tactical strategies and enabling bowlers to have a bigger impact on games.

“In my view, the powerplay of six overs with field restrictions should be divided; let the first four overs serve as the batters’ powerplay with field restrictions. The remaining two should be determined by the fielding captain, who can choose to place one extra fielder outside the ring at any moment throughout the game,” Tendulkar explained.

T20 cricket has experienced a remarkable surge in scoring rates in recent times, especially in the IPL since the introduction of the Impact Player rule, allowing teams to frequently achieve and chase what were once deemed match-winning totals.

“Moreover, one bowler should be permitted to bowl five overs. Typically, the best bowler on the team would take that fifth over. Wouldn’t you prefer to see your top bowler bowl more? The best batters sometimes bat for the full 20 overs. Why can’t the best bowler bowl five overs?” Tendulkar concluded.