Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Mumbai Indians (MI) lock horns in the Eliminator to get themselves one step closer of reaching Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 final.
LSG and MI finished third and fourth respectively on the IPL table and the winner of this tie — set to take place at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai — will face 2022 champions Gujarat Titans (GT) in Qualifier 2 on Friday, May 26.
These two teams squared off just once in the league phase. LSG extended their unbeaten record against MI to three wins out of three as they handed the five-time champions a heartbreaking five-run loss at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
MI will look to register their first-ever win against the Lucknow-based outfit, and there couldn't have been a better opportunity to do that as they can knock LSG out of the tournament.
That brings us to the latest new rule to be added to this year's IPL: Impact Players.
Impact substitutes are new for this year in the IPL, and they could play a part in deciding the outcome of this match.
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LSG vs MI: Who are the Impact Players today?
LSG subs: Kyle Mayers, Daniel Sams, Yudhvir Singh, Swapnil Singh, Amit Mishra
LSG substituted Yash Thakur with Kyle Mayers.
MI subs: Ramandeep Singh, Kumar Kartikeya, Vishnu Vinod, Nehal Wadhera, Sandeep Warrier
MI substituted Suryakumar Yadav with Nehal Wadhera while batting.
What is the 'Impact Player' rule in IPL 2023?
The introduction of a new rule could be a massive game-changer for the IPL, with one player from each team per game able to be substituted mid-game.
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The concept was trialled in the BCCI domestic competition and was widely praised.
The IPL has confirmed that the impact substitute must come from a list of five players, as confirmed before the toss.
Substitutions can be made either before the start of an innings; at the end of the over; at the fall of a wicket or when a batter retires.
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Once replaced, the substituted player can take no further part in the match, not even field.
The substitute could replace any player from the starting XI at any point before the end of the 14th over of either innings and was allowed to bat and bowl his full quota of overs.
In the IPL, teams are permitted to field a maximum of four overseas players per match, meaning if four overseas players are named in the starting XI, the replacement player must be Indian.
The 'impact player' rule should offer greater tactical freedom than other systems that have been used previously in India and abroad, with the BBL scrapping their X-factor sub prior to the 2022-23 season.
