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Virat Kohli has been critical about the impact player rule in the past. The rule was introduced to the IPL ahead of the 2023 season.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli plays a shot during the Indian Premier League 2026 match against Lucknow Super Giants at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, in Bengaluru on Wednesday. (ANI Photo)(ANI Pic Service)The IPL 2026 match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Bengaluru on Wednesday witnessed a rare incident when Virat Kohli was named among the Impact Player substitutes.
RCB had won the toss and opted to field first against LSG, and this allowed the defending champions to name Kohli as one of the impact player substitutes.
Virat Kohli had picked up an ankle injury during the match against Mumbai Indians (MI) last week, which forced the RCB team management to take a cautious approach with regard to the former captain.
Coming on as an impact player during RCB's run chase, Kohli scored 49 runs from 34 balls to help his team beat LSG by five wickets in the Garden City.
The Delhi cricketer, however, has been critical about the much talked-about impact player rule. The rule, similar to substitutions in football, was first introduced in the IPL 2023 season.
However, this rule has been criticsed by many, including Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who have argued that the rule has a negative impact on all-rounders.
Swastik Chikara reveals what Virat Kohli had said about impact player rule
Swastik Chikara, who was part of the RCB squad in IPL 2025, had said last year that Kohli had opined that he would only play if he was fully fit.
“Virat bhaiya said, ‘Jab tak cricket khelunga, jab tak main poora fit hoon. Ye Impact Player ki tarah nahi khelunga. Main sher ki tarah khelunga. I will field for the full 20 overs and then bat. The day I have to play as an Impact Player, I will quit cricket'," Chikara had said.
Kohli admitted that he wasn't 100% fit after the match against LSG. “I’m still not 100%. My knee was a bit sore last game. Even health-wise, I’ve been under the weather for four or five days,” the former RCB skipper said.
“I started off well, so I was happy with my intensity. Would have liked to finish the game, but sometimes you have to take conditions into account," he added.
Kohli is currently the leading run-getter in IPL 2026 with 228 runs from five matches at a strike-rate of 158.33. He has scored two fifties so far.
RCB, who are currently on top of the IPL 2026 standings with eight points, will next take on Delhi Capitals (DC) in Bengaluru on Saturday (18 April).
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