Rhodes: Fielders Must Back Bowlers Under Siege in IPL's Batting Onslaught

Rhodes' comments come against the backdrop of a bruising IPL 2026 season for bowlers, where even ace fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, has been carted for huge runs and picked just two wickets in seven games. The imbalance between bat and ball has prompted growing debate about whether the tournament's playing conditions have swung too far in favour of batters, especially with the Impact Player rule in picture.

"I just think that the fact that the impact player rule, which has come in just means that there's an extra batter in your team and in 20 overs, if you play aggressively, you can still keep taking risks. So, yes, you can impact another bowler in, but we know that in T20 cricket, the surface is good. There's often not a lot of the bowlers, who don't often have the edge.

"So when you've got an extra batter in your lineup, no matter how many bowlers - you can have seven bowlers if you want. But when batters are coming at you from ball one and throughout that middle period, which used to be a bit of a building period, especially if you've lost two or three wickets, you then use the sort of overs eight to 12 or 14 as a rebuilding phase and then you launch for the last six in those death overs," Rhodes told IANS in an exclusive conversation on Thursday, facilitated by ETPL.

Rhodes, who built his reputation as perhaps the finest fielder the game has seen during his international career, where he played 52 Tests and 254 ODIs, and later was in coaching staff of Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants, stated the burden on fielders to compensate for the bowlers being carted for runs had never been greater.

"But I think from a perspective of having that impact player, it means that the batters just keep coming at you ball after ball after ball. So, you don't necessarily see it outside the IPL without the impact player rule. But from the start, you really have to be on with your fielding because that one run could make a difference.

"You need to assist your bowlers and that spectacular catch or a brilliant run-out in the field, that really could be the difference between a team because taking wickets is difficult enough. If you can do something spectacular in the field and assist the bowlers, that often is the difference between winning and losing," he added.

Rhodes also noted that tournaments operating without the Impact Player rule, including the European T20 Premier League, will aim to present a more balanced contest, thanks to all-rounders regaining their value and batting depth naturally curtailed.

"I know about that, but a big focus on that will have to be the fielding because the bowlers have been let down a little bit in the field. Also, don't forget there's not going to be the impact player rule and then it brings in all-rounders (into the game).

"Plus there's one batter short, so it does even the contest slightly. But you're right - I mean, if the batters are dominating, there's going to have to be a big focus on the fielders backing up their bowlers," he concluded.

- IANS