'Would football be fun if every game had 45 goals?': More sixes, flat pitches not making IPL 'more special'
At a time when six-hitting has become the defining feature of T20 cricket, South African spinner Tabraiz Shamsi has raised serious concerns over the growing imbalance between bat and ball. Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians coach Mahela Jayawardene does not see this as a major issue, whereas Kuldeep Yadav believes that Test cricket exists to truly test skill sets.
NEW DELHI: In last year’s Indian Premier League (IPL), teams crossed the 200-run mark a record 52 times. In the ongoing season, the 200-run mark has already been breached 11 times in just 13 matches, with 61 games still to go. This has now become a clear trend.
So much so that during the 2026 T20 World Cup, broadcasters were even debating whether India could cross the 300-run mark. However, the loss in Ahmedabad against South Africa in the Super Eight provided the eventual champions with a reality check. IPL 2026 began on a high, with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru chasing down a 202-run target in just 15.
4 overs at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. In the next match, five-time champions Mumbai Indians chased down Kolkata Knight Riders’ 220-run target in 19. 1 overs.
The following three matches, however, saw a slight lull as pitches offered a more balanced contest between bat and ball. Over the last four seasons, the run rate has risen significantly. In IPL 2022, the run rate was 8.