Sachin Tendulkar has proposed a set of significant rule changes for the IPL, aiming to restore the balance between bat and ball in T20 cricket. The batting legend believes the format has increasingly become batter-friendly, leaving bowlers with limited opportunities to influence matches. His suggestions focus on improving tactical flexibility and ensuring a fairer contest between the two disciplines.
Impact Player rule should be removed
One of Tendulkar’s strongest recommendations is scrapping the Impact Player rule. Introduced to add tactical depth, the rule allows teams to substitute a player during a match. However, Tendulkar feels it has largely benefited batting sides, as teams often use it to add an extra specialist batter.
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According to him, the rule has reduced the importance of team balance and diminished the role of all-rounders. He believes removing the provision would help restore the traditional structure of T20 teams and create a more even contest.
Changes to Powerplay and bowling limits
Tendulkar has also suggested modifications to the Powerplay and bowling regulations. Instead of having all six overs of field restrictions at the start of an innings, he proposed that only the first four overs remain mandatory.
“The impact player needs to go away” – that’s @sachin_rt thoughts on @ipl rules.
“Change the power play rule to 4 overs” “let one bowler bowl 5k overs” pic.twitter.com/cKlF2obpDr— Sanjay Lazar (@sjlazars) May 31, 2026
The remaining two overs could then be used by the fielding captain at any stage of the innings, providing an additional tactical option to counter aggressive batting.
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The former India captain also wants one bowler from each team to be allowed a maximum of five overs instead of the current four. He argued that while elite batters can influence an innings from start to finish, top bowlers are restricted by existing rules. Allowing a fifth over would enable captains to use their best bowling weapon during crucial phases of the game.
Tendulkar believes these changes would bring greater balance to T20 cricket while adding a new layer of strategy. His proposals have already sparked debate among players, experts and fans over the future direction of the IPL and the shortest format of the game.
