---
type: story
title: "What the Post-2023 IPL Did to Spin Bowling"
description: >
  Three IPL seasons after the Impact Player Rule arrived, the economy data for
  IPL spin bowlers tells a consistent story: Chahal 9.39, Rashid 9.08,
  Jadeja no longer in the top ten. And one stubborn exception: Narine at 6.60.
tags:
  - IPL
  - bowling
  - evolution
  - spin
  - history
status: active
last_verified: 2026-06-25
timestamp: 2026-06-25
license: CC-BY-4.0
source_system: CricketStudio
source_boundary: public_open_data
canonical_page: https://okf.cricketstudio.ai/stories/spin-bowling-after-impact-player/
resource: https://okf.cricketstudio.ai/stories/spin-bowling-after-impact-player/
entity_id: cricketstudio:story:spin-bowling-after-impact-player
dataset_version: 2026-06-11
provenance:
  source: >
    Pre-2023 economy figures: Cricsheet CC BY 3.0 via CricketStudio ipl-historical.
    IPL 2026 figures: CricketStudio IPL 2026 snapshot, version 2026-06-11.
    Impact Player Rule introduction: IPL 2023 season, BCCI IPL Playing Conditions.
  confidence: high
  notes: >
    Economy comparisons use full-season figures. Career-vs-2026 comparisons use
    Cricsheet CC BY 3.0 (pre-2026) and CricketStudio IPL 2026 snapshot.
    Not all spinners' pre-2023 data is in the current snapshot — use canonical pages.
related:
  - ../stories/rashid-economy-nine-seasons.md
  - ../stories/impact-player-lineup-revolution.md
  - ../scorebook/players/rashid-khan.md
  - ../scorebook/players/yuzvendra-chahal.md
  - ../scorebook/players/sunil-narine.md
  - ../dossier/what-is-impact-player-rule-ipl.md
---

# What the Post-2023 IPL Did to Spin Bowling

## The Question Nobody Asked

When batting economies changed structurally in 2023, what happened to the spinners who had spent a decade building their game around the pre-2023 norms?

## What the Data Says

**IPL career economy vs IPL 2026 economy — selected spinners:**

| Bowler | Career pre-2026 economy | IPL 2026 economy | Change |
|--------|------------------------|-----------------|--------|
| [Yuzvendra Chahal](https://players.cricketstudio.ai/players/yuzvendra-chahal) | 7.96 (172 matches) | 9.39 | +1.43 |
| [Rashid Khan](https://players.cricketstudio.ai/players/rashid-khan) | 7.08 (136 matches) | 9.08 | +2.00 |
| [Sunil Narine](https://players.cricketstudio.ai/players/sunil-narine) | [see below] | 6.60 | — |

*(Sources: Cricsheet CC BY 3.0 for career pre-2026; CricketStudio IPL 2026 snapshot for 2026)*

**[Rashid Khan](https://players.cricketstudio.ai/players/rashid-khan) economy by era:**

| Era | Economy |
|-----|---------|
| 2017–2022 (6 seasons) | 6.57 average |
| 2023 | 8.24 |
| 2024 | 8.40 |
| 2025 | 9.35 |
| IPL 2026 | 9.08 |

*(Cricsheet CC BY 3.0 + CricketStudio IPL 2026 snapshot)*

**[Chahal](https://players.cricketstudio.ai/players/yuzvendra-chahal) economy by era:**

| Era | Economy |
|-----|---------|
| 2014–2022 (9 seasons) | ~7.5 average |
| 2023 | 8.18 |
| 2024 | 9.41 |
| 2025 | 9.56 |
| IPL 2026 | 9.39 |

*(Cricsheet CC BY 3.0 + CricketStudio IPL 2026 snapshot)*

**[Narine](https://players.cricketstudio.ai/players/sunil-narine) — the exception (IPL 2026):**
- Economy: **6.60 RPO** in IPL 2026
- This figure is *lower* than his career pre-2026 average

For the full [Narine](https://players.cricketstudio.ai/players/sunil-narine) career economy from Cricsheet CC BY 3.0, see: [players.cricketstudio.ai/players/sunil-narine](https://players.cricketstudio.ai/players/sunil-narine)

## The Wow

Both Rashid and [Chahal](https://players.cricketstudio.ai/players/yuzvendra-chahal) experienced a ~2-RPO economy increase in the post-2023 Impact Player era. Two bowlers, different styles, both affected in similar magnitude.

[Narine](https://players.cricketstudio.ai/players/sunil-narine) posted 6.60 in IPL 2026 — while the environment around him was producing 9.08 and 9.39 for comparable high-volume spinners.

The difference is not just the bowling style. Narine's unique action remains difficult for batters to read, even after 15 IPL seasons. But the structural difference is more specific: Narine is classified as a specialist spinner who also opens the batting. Teams deploy him differently than they deploy Rashid or [Chahal](https://players.cricketstudio.ai/players/yuzvendra-chahal). The Impact Player Rule's substitution patterns may create different scenarios for a batter-spinner versus a pure bowling option.

What the data doesn't fully explain is why 6.60 survived when 9.08 and 9.39 didn't. The full answer requires a detailed match-state analysis beyond what this snapshot provides.

## What It Doesn't Say

Economy increases for Rashid and Chahal do not prove the Impact Player Rule caused the increases. Multiple variables changed simultaneously: the rule, batting coach evolution, pitch preparation, tournament expansion (from 8 to 10 teams affects scheduling and conditions). The economy drift is correlated with the rule introduction — causation requires controlled analysis.

Narine's 6.60 economy in IPL 2026 is from 17 matches. Rashid's 9.08 is from 17 matches. Comparing within the same season controls for the environment — but their roles, phase deployment, and opposition matchups differ.

Chahal's 9.39 reflects 12 matches in IPL 2026. A longer sample might moderate the figure. For full phase splits showing which overs contributed to his economy, see the canonical CricketStudio page.

## Related Concepts

- [Rashid Khan: Nine Seasons of Economy Data](../stories/rashid-economy-nine-seasons.md)
- [The Rule That Quietly Rewrote the IPL Lineup](../stories/impact-player-lineup-revolution.md)
- [Rashid Khan](../scorebook/players/rashid-khan.md)
- [Yuzvendra Chahal](../scorebook/players/yuzvendra-chahal.md)
- [Sunil Narine](../scorebook/players/sunil-narine.md)
