Impact Player is a challenging rule, but we are prepared for it: KKR head coach Chandrakant Pandit

Kolkata Knight Riders head coach Chandrakant Pandit feels that the new impact player rule will be a challenging one for the franchise ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League 2023 (IPL).  However, the franchise coach also added that his team is prepared for a tricky substitute rule.

IPL has introduced a few new rules for its 16th edition which kicks off on March 31. One of the new inventions is the Impact Player rule, where a team can replace one player with a substitute during a live game. According to this rule, teams are allowed to name five substitute players and one of them can be introduced as an impact player if the team requires any. 

It will be interesting to see how team management uses this new rule to its benefit. Chandrakant also revealed that the Knight Riders have already identified their impact player but said that it will depend on the opposition and conditions.

"We have been working on it, obviously (identified impact player?). It's a challenging rule. It's very interesting. Basically, for the coaches and captains, it's going be interesting. We have been thinking about that, discussing with our support staff about the various options. When it comes to the field, we have to take a decision. But yes, we are prepared for it. We are looking at it from every possible way. That particular day will decide and the opposition will decide our impact player,"  Chandrakant said while speaking in a press conference on March 28.

We are very confident in Nitish Rana's abilities: Chandrakant Pandit

KKR enter this edition with a new captain in form of Nitish Rana with regular skipper Shreyas Iyer out injured. Rana is at the franchise for the last five years and has been consistent with his performances. However, he will be under a media scanner due to his lack of experience in captaining the IPL team. But Chandrakant has backed his new captain and said that Rana is capable of taking extra responsibility.

"More than selecting the captain, it is about giving responsibility and we thought that he was very capable to that. He has been at KKR for many years and he had all the boxes ticked. We are very confident in his abilities. Everyone at the international level is special in their own way and it was a collective decision of the coach and support staff to hand Nitish Rana the captaincy. And everyone has received that very well," Chandrakant added.

Kolkata Knight Riders will be travelling to Mohali's IS Bindra Stadium to face Punjab Kings in their opening IPL 2023 match on April 1 and will host Royal Challengers Bangalore at Eden Gardens in their first home game on April 6.