- The 17th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has crossed the halfway mark with the usual domination of the batters overwhelmingly shadowing the hapless bowlers who seem to have been left with no other option but to eschew restrictive mode of attack. Rather than embracing an attacking option of taking wickets to slow down the flow of runs, the bowlers are resorting to the defensive tactics of bowling restrictive lines in the hope of curtailing the rampaging batters. Agreed, the paying public increasingly is demanding more sixes and fours from the marauding batters at the cost of the clueless bowlers who appear to have lost the appetite to tame batsmen. The resultant outcome is atrocious targets being scored and overhauled in a mere 20 overs.
PC: Wisden
- Such has been the domination of the batters in this edition that even a mammoth score of 200 plus in 20 overs is getting overhauled by the chasing team. A team like Sunrisers Hyderabad scoring an insane 287/3 in 20 overs is simply put, ridiculous. The Hyderabad franchise has scored three 250-plus scores in the tournament already. The way the opening batters are going hammer and tongs in the powerplay defies cricketing logic. Moreover, the Hyderabad team scored more than 100 runs in the first six powerplay overs amply demonstrating to what extent batting in the shortest form of cricket has evolved over the last few years. Where is the level-playing field between the bat and the ball to infuse some level of contest to make it interesting?
- The shortened boundaries, field restrictions, the impact substitute rule, and the flat pitches on offer are sounding out the death knell to the bowlers. Some of the most accomplished bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammad Siraj, and Trent Boult – just to name a few – are getting clobbered around like novices. It’s embarrassing to see young Indian batsmen going after the more acclaimed bowlers with such nonchalance and aplomb clearing the boundaries effortlessly. Four overs yielding more than 40 runs from the game’s superstar bowlers mirrors to what extent the T20 format has reduced them to being submissive. Indeed, the impact substitute rule introduced in the IPL has taken out the allrounder from the equation altogether too.
PC: Quora
- The Board of Control for Cricket in India mandarins must be made aware of how the T20 format is gradually turning into a mundane affair without a keen contest thrown in for good measure in the absence of a level playing field for the bowlers to be in contention. Hitting through the line to score sixes and fours is simply not cricket, you see. There are signs of novelty factors from the league weaning away as the once overflowing stadiums are showing far more empty seats as the league progresses into the business end. I am reminded of what the legendary West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding responded when asked why he doesn’t commentate in T20 leagues. I commentate on cricket, not T20 leagues, Holding said. And he said it all!
