Jos Buttler, the England captain, made no secret of his feelings at the toss just before the fifth and last T20I against India here at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Sharp digs into the controversy of the concussion substitute debate, wherein he chose not one but four impact substitutes when speaking through Ravi Shastri clearly expressed his frustration.

The ‘Impact Player’ rule, popular in the Indian Premier League (IPL), allows teams to introduce one substitute from a pre-named list of five, enabling the use of 12 players during a match. However, India has faced criticism for allegedly misusing this rule for concussion substitutes, as seen when they replaced Shivam Dube with Harshit Rana in the fourth T20I.
Shivam Dube had scored a brilliant fifty before being struck on the head in the final over of India’s innings. Declared concussed, he was replaced by Rana, a move that didn’t sit well with many cricket experts. Many former cricketers from both India and England questioned whether Rana’s inclusion was a genuine concussion replacement or an opportunistic move that acted as an impact substitute in disguise.
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Many believed that Ramandeep Singh was the better all-rounder who should have taken Dube’s place. Buttler voiced his dissatisfaction during the post-match press conference. When questioned if the issue was more about an impact player than a concussion substitute, he replied sarcastically, “Maybe at the next toss, I’ll say we’re going to play 12 as well.”
🚨 Toss 🚨#TeamIndia have been put into bat first
Live ▶️ https://t.co/B13UlBNLvn#INDvENG | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/jvJ6N9WofZ
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 2, 2025
True to his word, Buttler delivered on his cheeky promise in Mumbai. At the toss, he announced that England had made a change—Mark Wood replacing Saqib Mahmood—and then, in a not-so-subtle jibe at India, he proceeded to name four impact substitutes: Rehan Ahmed, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Smith, and Gus Atkinson. His pointed remarks made it evident that he believed India had bent the rules in the previous match.
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England has played well in patches, according to Buttler, who also said his side was working towards perfecting the aggressive style it wants to follow. “Yeah, we played good cricket in parts. We are trying to enforce the style of play we want and win crucial moments,” he said. On the venue, he added, “This is a great ground to play cricket in any format. It is usually a good wicket. We are going to chase.”
Buttler’s mischievous but telling riposte made sure that the debate on India’s concussion substitute would not be forgotten in a hurry.