Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batting coach and mentor Dinesh Karthik has made interesting comments on the controversial 'impact player' clause in the IPL. While agreeing that this clause is causing a shortage of all-rounders in Indian cricket, he believes that it should be continued till 2027, when the current IPL cycle ends. He clarified that it is not right to remove this clause in the middle of the cycle formed after the mega auction.

Speaking to 'Cricbuzz', Dinesh Karthik shared his views on the matter. "After the 2025 mega auction, teams have prepared their composition keeping the impact player clause in mind. If this clause is suddenly removed now, it will be unfair to some teams. It will give an unfair advantage to teams that are strong with 11 players over teams that have written strategies with 12 players. Hence, it is right to continue it till the end of this cycle," he explained.

However, Karthik also criticized the 'impact player' rule. "When this rule was introduced, it seemed interesting with high-scoring matches and fierce chases. But last season, that momentum decreased. Many matches ended one-sidedly. This rule is gradually losing its effectiveness. Especially because of this, the chances of getting quality all-rounders for the Indian team are decreasing," Karthik expressed concern.

He suggested that any new rule should be brought at the beginning of the IPL cycle and if it is to be removed, it should be done only after the cycle is over. "In fact, the impact player rule was also brought in the middle of the cycle. Now it does not make sense to remove it again in the middle. That is why it is better to continue it till 2027 and review it after that," said Dinesh Karthik.