Sarfaraz Khan was used as an impact player inside 4 overs [Source: AFP]The Impact Player rule in the IPL was introduced in the 2023 season, and it allows teams to substitute one of the players from the playing XI with one of the five listed substitutes at any point in an IPL game. Since its inception, teams have generally used impact players once an inning gets over.Generally, the team that bats first brings on a bowler in the second inning as an impact player, and the team that bowls first brings a batter to strengthen their batting department. However, sometimes, that rule of thumb is broken.It has often been seen that when a team faces a crisis, they immediately use their plan B, and bring the impact sub in the first innings itself. Most of the time, these decisions are made by the batting team, as they lose a couple of early wickets, and are in danger of getting dismissed cheaply.CSK bring Sarfaraz Khan as Impact sub within first 6 oversCSK were put into bat by the GT skipper, Shubman Gill, in the IPL match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The wicket had some spice for the pacers, and Kagiso Rabada ran riot as he scalped Sanju Samson, and Urvil Patel in quick succession.With CK two down, everyone expected Dewald Brevis to come in at number 4, but to everyone’s surprise, the Super Kings used the impact player option, as Sarfaraz Khan walked out to bat at number 4 inside four overs.The decision to use Sarfaraz as an impact player early in the innings failed as the batter miscued an attempted pull shot and was sent packing for a golden duck.Fact check: Is Sarfaraz the earliest used impact player in IPL?With CSK using Sarfaraz after just 4 overs, the question arises: is the CSK batter the earliest used impact substitute in IPL history? Well, the answer is no.It was during the Mumbai Indians vs the Rajasthan Royals IPL match in 2024, when the earliest impact player was used. Dewald Brevis came in as an impact player for Naman Dhir, who got out on the last ball of the first over in 2024.Dhir was dismissed for a duck, as MI used Brevis as an impact player, but the move failed as the South African, too, was sent packing for a duck.Also Read: Why CSK Have Dropped Sarfaraz Khan For Urvil Patel For IPL 2026 Match vs Gujarat TitansRare failure for Sarfaraz Khan in IPL 2026Before the start of the IPL 2026, it was expected that the right-handed batter would warm the bench. However, injuries to MS Dhoni, and Brevis forced the franchise to play him in the team, and Sarfaraz delivered the goods for them.He scored a couple of quickfire 20s, and 30s, and also slammed a whirlwind fifty as he became CSK’s reliable player.The duck against GT was Sarfaraz Khan’s first single-digit score this season, as he has accumulated 161 runs in eight innings, with a strike rate of 171.Also Read: Sanju Samson Recreates Virat Kohli’s Iconic MCG Shot vs Haris Rauf, Kagiso Rabada’s Jaw Drops
