IPL 2026: The concussion substitute rule in the Indian Premier League (IPL), introduced in 2020 to prioritise player safety in case of grievous head injuries,
has become an important part of match-day regulations. Since its introduction back in 2020, the rule has been used to call several players on the field as like-for-like replacements.
Here are the players who have been used as concussion substitutes in IPL.
List Of Concussion Substitutes In IPL
Vishnu Vinod
Vishnu Vinod is the first cricket player in IPL to become a concussion substitute when he replaced Ishan Kishan, who sustained a concussion after an accidental collision with his teammate.
Kishan immediately left the field and was taken to the dressing room for medical attention. Vinod then came in as the wicketkeeper substitute. Later, on during the match, Nehal Wadhera was used as the Impact Player to open the innings, while Vinod was brought into the batting order after the dismissal of Cameron Green.
Yudhvir Singh Charak
Charak is the second cricket player who came in as a concussion substitute for Mohsin Khan, who suffered a head injury while fielding against the Kolkata Knight Riders. Khan attempted a diving effort in the outfield but landed awkwardly, resulting in a blow to his head. After being assessed by the medical staff, he was ruled out of the match due to the concussion rules.
Young fast bowler Yudhvir Singh Charak was brought in as his like-for-like replacement. The substitution ensured that LSG maintained a full bowling unit without compromising player safety, in line with IPL regulations introduced to handle head injury situations.
Ashwani Kumar
Ashwani Kumar is the third cricketer in IPL who came as a concussion substitute, stepping in for all-rounder Corbin Bosch in the match against the Gujarat Titans. The incident took place in the 20th over of the match when Bosch was struck on the helmet by a sharp bouncer from Prasidh Krishna in the 20th over.
Although he continued briefly and was even run out on the next delivery after playing a quick cameo of 27 off 22 balls, including two consecutive sixes, he later showed symptoms of concussion during the mid-innings assessment. Following medical evaluation, the Mumbai Indians activated the concussion substitute protocol, bringing in Ashwani Kumar as a like-for-like replacement.
Shardul Thakur
Shardul is the latest cricketer to enter the concussion list, as a substitute in IPL, replacing Mitchell Santner in the game against CSK. Santner was injured while attempting a catch off CSK batter Kartik Sharma in the 17th over, falling heavily in the process. Following the incident, he was ruled out of the remainder of the match and replaced under the concussion substitute rule.
Shardul Thakur then joined the MI XI and came in to bat at No. 8 for Hardik Pandya's side. Before his injury, Santner had completed his bowling quota, finishing with figures of 1 for 44 from four overs. His only wicket came when he dismissed Sarfaraz Khan, who had scored 14 off 8 balls at No. 3 before being bowled on the fourth delivery of the sixth over.
