'Going on record...': Zaheer Khan bats for controversial rule in IPL amid mixed reactions from Rohit, Kohli

Despite the ongoing debate surrounding the Impact Player rule, there has been no official confirmation regarding its presence in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Prominent players such as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have expressed their disapproval of the rule. However, there are also players who believe that the Impact Player rule should remain in place for the upcoming season and beyond. Renowned India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has voiced his support for the rule, emphasizing that it enhances strategic gameplay.

"Why I think the Impact Player rule is not so bad is because it gives a little more value for strategy. The other side of that argument is it doesn't encourage all-rounders. But no one is stopping them," Ashwin said on Kris Srikkanth's YouTube show Cheeky Cheeka.

Former India pacer Zaheer Khan, who was recently appointed as the mentor of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), has voiced his support for Ashwin. Zaheer believes that the Impact Player rule has provided a significant advantage to young Indian players.

"There has been a debate around the impact sub rule. I'm going on record to say that I'm all for it. It has definitely given opportunities to a lot of uncapped Indian talents. It is something you will see this in the mega auction when teams will be looking at them," Zaheer said at a press conference organised by LSG.

"That opportunity goes a long way with improving Indian cricket on the whole. The time spent in match time, it's something you cannot beat. That's the biggest plus." "As far as all-rounders are concerned, right now there is no space for a half all-rounder because of the impact sub (rule). But if you are a genuine all-rounder, (then) no one can stop you. There is always going to be a value addition with the ability with bat and ball," he added.

Meanwhile, Kohli stated last season that the Impact Player rule has disrupted the balance of the games, while India's skipper, Rohit, admitted that he is not a big fan of it.

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