Former India cricketer Rahul Dravid has voiced his concerns over the Impact Player rule, admitting that he isn’t a big fan of it. While the rule has added excitement and flexibility to the Indian Premier League, Dravid believes it comes with drawbacks, especially from a national team development perspective. Dravid, who currently serves as the head coach of the Rajasthan Royals, spoke about the challenges the rule brings during an exclusive interview with Sportstar. “I’ll be honest: when I was India’s coach, I wasn’t particularly fond of the Impact Player rule. Not because it doesn’t make the game more competitive — it certainly does. It adds complexity and keeps matches alive till the very end. But from a national team perspective, it posed some challenges,” Dravid said. Introduced in IPL 2023, the Impact Player rule allows teams to substitute one player mid-game, usually a specialist batter or bowler, offering tactical flexibility. Teams like the Mumbai Indians have started using Rohit Sharma purely as a batting Impact Player, and several other franchises have taken similar approaches. Also Read: 'It's been a frustrating season': Coach Fleming reacts after PBKS vs CSK However, Dravid is also wary that the rule could limit opportunities for budding all-rounders in Indian cricket. “As a coach, you want to develop all-rounders, and under the old 11 vs 11 format, certain players would have had more opportunities to bat or bowl in different situations. The Impact Player rule has changed that to some extent," he explained. He further noted that teams are now able to manage without genuine all-rounders, something that wasn’t possible earlier. “While having an all-rounder still brings balance, teams can now manage without one if they don’t find the right fit,” he added. 'There are always pros and cons' While Dravid clearly has reservations, he also acknowledged the strategic depth the rule adds to the T20 format. “Strategically, it has added layers to team selection and match planning. That said, I understand why it exists. It ensures every game remains competitive and allows an extra Indian player to feature in the league, which is a positive. Like with the auction and other rules, there are always pros and cons," he said. Rajasthan Royals, under Dravid’s guidance this season, will be back in action on Wednesday when they take on Gujarat Titans. With two wins and two losses from four matches, RR currently sit in seventh place on the points table.