Ponting: High-Scoring IPL Games to Continue Despite Impact Player Rule

Ricky Ponting, the head coach of Delhi Capitals and former Australian captain, believes that high-scoring games will remain a norm in the Indian Premier League (IPL) even if the controversial 'Impact Player' rule is discontinued. The rule allows teams to replace one of the original XI announced at the toss at any point during the match.

Ponting's comments come amidst a debate about the rule, with some like India captain Rohit Sharma criticizing it for limiting the opportunities for all-rounders. However, others like Sourav Ganguly have praised it as an innovative addition.

"There is a talk if the impact player remains in the IPL, if it doesn't, will the scores come down again? I am interested to see that. I am not sure they will," Ponting said.

He explained that the rule provides a cushion for top-order batters, but they are already accustomed to playing aggressively. "The guys at the top are so used to going out and playing a certain way," he said.

This season, the 200-run mark has been breached 36 times in the IPL, compared to 37 in the previous edition. BCCI secretary Jay Shah has indicated that the rule could be reconsidered based on feedback from stakeholders.

Ponting also highlighted the challenges of coaching a franchise team, which he believes is more difficult than coaching a national team. He cited the diverse nationalities involved and the limited time available to build team culture.

"It's really hard to do that, it is also hard to make big skill changes in such a short period of time," he said.

Ponting also discussed the evolution of the game in recent years, noting that the space for batters with "classical technique" is shrinking. He pointed to England's aggressive approach and the rise of players who have grown up playing limited-overs cricket.

"There still is room for purist batsmen in Test match cricket, but that's going to be less and less," he said.

Ponting identified Virat Kohli and Joe Root as among the few top batters with a classical technique. "In the last 10 years there is not a lot of classical technique in the modern day batters," he said.

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