New Delhi: Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar has expressed serious concern over the impact player role in the IPL, warning that it could negatively impact the long-term development of young talents like Vibhu Suryavanshi.15 years old Rajasthan Royals The sensation has been one of the biggest stories of IPL 2026, scoring 583 runs in 14 matches and helping Rajasthan Royals reach the playoffs. But Manjrikar believes the current rule is preventing the youngster from being fully evaluated as a cricketer. Speaking on Sportsstar’s Inside Edge podcast, Manjrikar questioned whether the impact player rule was making players one-dimensional by limiting their involvement in the game.“The more I think about it, the more I think we need to do away with the impact player rule for that reason,” Manjrekar said. “Is this really what we want to see about Vaibhav Suryavanshi? To see only one side of his game?”‘A cricketer should contribute in different fields’Manjrikar argued that cricket should test players in multiple fields rather than allowing specialists to contribute for only a short period before sitting out the rest of the competition.“I was just thinking about that when I saw Rohit Sharma in the last match. He scored 22 off 15 balls. His entire partnership was 15 balls,” Manjrekar said. “Yet he will still receive the full match fee or whatever comes with it. When easy money can be made for very little effort, you have to start questioning that model. It can never be a sustainable, long-term formula for success.”The former India batsman asserted that players should be evaluated beyond just batting or bowling performance.He further said that a cricketer should be one who contributes in all fields. “Earlier, we appreciated players like Inzamam-ul-Haq not only for his batting, but also because we saw the other side of him on the field. It helped you assess and understand the player.”Manjrikar insisted that player development is the biggest concern.“I want the game to test players more thoroughly,” Manjrekar said. “If there is a good bowler, I don’t just want to see him bowl four overs. I also want to see how he fields.
