Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has raised fresh concerns about the IPL’s Impact Player rule, questioning whether it is hindering the development of young Indian cricketers. Speaking on Sportstar’s Insight Edge podcast, Manjrekar used the example of emerging Rajasthan Royals talent Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to explain why he believes the rule could hurt the long-term growth of all-around skills in modern cricket.

According to Manjrekar, Sooryavanshi has largely been used only as a specialist batter during IPL 2026, limiting opportunities for fans and selectors to assess his fielding, temperament and overall cricketing ability under pressure. “When there is easy money to be made with very little effort, you have to worry about that model. That’s never going to guarantee long-term success,” Sanjay Manjrekar said.

The former India batter admitted that he is increasingly leaning towards scrapping the Impact Player rule altogether because it allows cricketers to focus on only one discipline rather than becoming complete players.

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“I’m increasingly thinking the Impact Player rule should go. Is that really what you want from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi — just one side of his game? A cricketer should be someone who contributes in multiple areas, not just with the bat,” he explained. 

Manjrekar also pointed out that earlier generations of cricketers were judged not only on their batting numbers but also on how they handled pressure situations in the field. He referenced former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, saying fans understood both his strengths and limitations because he remained actively involved throughout matches.

“We respected Inzamam for his batting, but we also saw his fielding and understood the complete package. That’s how players were judged,” Sanjay Manjrekar noted. He further argued that fielding mistakes, dropped catches and difficult moments are essential parts of a player’s growth. According to him, shielding players from those situations through the Impact Player rule may reduce the competitive challenges that help shape elite cricketers.

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Manjrekar also acknowledged that India won the 2024 T20 World Cup despite players like Shivam Dube contributing mainly as batters. However, he maintained that cricket should continue demanding complete skill sets from players at the highest level. “I don’t want cricket to become just batting and relaxing afterward. The game should test every cricketer completely,” he concluded.