In what is a very rare incident in cricket, Lucknow Super Giants used 13 players in their 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Kolkata Knight Riders, at the BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium on Sunday (5 April). Besides the 11 players who were initially named, and an additional bowler in Yudhvir Singh Charak and an additional batter in Arshin Kulkarni were utilised.
But, why were they allowed to do so? Let’s break it down.
The Sequence Started When Mohsin Khan Got Injured
Fielding at short third, Lucknow pacer Mohsin Khan found the ball travelling towards him in the third delivery of the 12th over, as Sunil Narine miscued a shot off Ravi Bishnoi’s bowling.
Mohsin put in a commendable dive to get to the ball, and was successful in that part, as he got his hands to it. However, he could not hold on to the ball to complete the catch. What was more worrying for Lucknow was the way he fell on the ground, with his face hitting the ground with force.
Subsequently, he had to leave the ground.
Why Was Yudhvir Singh Charak Not Regarded as an Impact Sub?
With Mohsin not being able to finish his quota of four overs after sustaining the injury, Lucknow brought on Yudhvir Singh Charak in the 16th over. The 26-year-old pacer from Jammu & Kashmir bowled a couple of overs, conceding 24 runs and picking the wicket of Angkrish Raghuvanshi.
However, the KL Rahul-led team did not have to use their impact substitute slot on Yudhvir, who came in as a concussion substitute for Mohsin. IPL incorporated the concussion substitute provision in its regulations in 2020, wherein any player who suffers from concussion – be it whilst batting, bowling or fielding – can be replaced by another player, subject to approval from the match referee.
The Impact Sub Slot Was Used on Arshin Kulkarni
Lucknow eventually used the impact substitute slot on young opener Arshin Kulkarni, who replaced pacer Yash Thakur. The 19-year-old batter scored 9 runs in 7 deliveries before losing his wicket to Mitchell Starc, courtesy of an excellent catch by Ramandeep Singh.
Is This the First Time a Team Used 13 Players in IPL?
No, this is not the first occasion wherein a team fielded 13 players in an IPL match. In Qualifier 2 of IPL 2023, Mumbai Indians became the first team to so do.
Mumbai’s wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan suffered from concussion after a collision with teammate Chris Jordan, with Vishnu Vinod replacing him. Meanwhile, the impact substitute slot was used on Nehal Wadhera.
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