'Extra batter making the game more one-dimensional' - Gill on impact player rule

Shubman Gill, the captain of the Gujarat Titans, concurred with Axar Patel's opinion that the Impact Player rule "takes the skill out of the game" just a few days earlier. In a press conference on Thursday. Gill stated, "Personally for me, I don't think there should be Impact player." After being tested in the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy in 2022, the Impact Sub has been in the IPL since the 2023 season. Even though there was debate about its impact on tipping the balance heavily in favor of the batters, the BCCI decided to keep it in the IPL despite the fact that it was eliminated from the domestic competition after the 2024 season. The rule has enabled teams to extend their batting line-ups, and consequently been tougher on bowling attacks. Gill even stated that the rule was rendering the sport "one-dimensional." "Cricket in general is a 11-player game... adding an extra batsman, I think it takes the skill out of the game. With that one extra player, it is making the game more one dimensional. I find it more exciting to chase 180 or 160 on a difficult wicket than 220 on a flat track. There have been expectations that the team totals will surpass 300 because of this rule, which further empowers batters in this format. There has been anticipation for it over the past few seasons, despite the fact that it has not yet occurred in this tournament. The GT captain chose to look away from such targets, training his focus on trying to secure as many wins as possible for his team. "At the end of the day, you have to score more runs than the other team. Whether it's by four runs or 150-200 runs, the goal is to win. We are not chasing the glory of scoring 300-350 in a single match. Gill stated, "We want to be a team that consistently scores a lot of runs and hits the par target for that wicket." "We want to win matches in different conditions. We don't want to be a team that performs only on good wickets," he added. Gill, who led his team to the playoffs last year, is looking forward to doing much of what he usually does in the IPL: scoring big runs. He has put the disappointment of not playing in the T20 World Cup behind him. Gill has been one of the most consistent batters in this decade of the tournament, scoring 440, 478, 483, 890, 426 and 650 since the 2020 edition. Expectedly, the GT captain reckoned he had nothing to prove in this format. "I think if you look at the past three or four seasons, I think I have the most runs in the IPL. Therefore, I do not believe I have anything particularly to prove this season," Gill stated. "And the four years that I have played for this team, I think we have done decently well as a team. And I think I have done decently well as a batsman. "So I don't think I need to prove to anyone my worth. I believe I must continue doing what I have been doing for four years. Additionally, we must maintain consistency as a team, which I believe we have done. And if we continue doing that sooner or later, I think we will win that trophy once more." The 2022 champions will begin their 2026 campaign against Punjab Kings in Mullanpur on March 31.