'Would football be fun if every game had 45 goals?': More sixes not making IPL 'special'

NEW DELHI: In past year’s Indian Premier League (IPL), teams crossed the 200-run people a grounds 52 times. In the ongoing season, the 200-run people has already been breached 11 times successful conscionable 13 matches, with 61 games inactive to go.

This has present go a wide trend.

So overmuch truthful that during the 2026 T20 World Cup, broadcasters were adjacent debating whether India could transverse the 300-run mark. However, the nonaccomplishment successful Ahmedabad against South Africa successful the Super Eight provided the eventual champions with a world check.IPL 2026 began connected a high, with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru chasing down a 202-run people successful conscionable 15.4 overs astatine the Chinnaswamy Stadium successful Bengaluru.

In the adjacent match, five-time champions Mumbai Indians chased down Kolkata Knight Riders’ 220-run people successful 19.1 overs. The pursuing 3 matches, however, saw a flimsy lull arsenic pitches offered a much balanced contention betwixt bat and ball.

Over the past 4 seasons, the tally complaint has risen significantly. In IPL 2022, the tally complaint was 8.54. It accrued to 8.99 successful IPL 2023, past climbed to 9.56 successful IPL 2024, and further to 9.62 successful IPL 2025.

This dependable emergence intelligibly indicates an upward trend, and IPL 2026 is improbable to beryllium immoderate different.There has been a large uptick successful 200-plus totals successful the IPL. The archetypal 10 seasons (2008-2018) produced 67 200-plus totals portion the adjacent 9 seasons, including the ongoing edition, has witnessed a jaw-dropping 207 specified totals -- a 3x growth.Even during this period, the archetypal 5 seasons (2017-21), had 58 instances of 200-plus totals from 299 matches.

Since 2022, successful astir the aforesaid fig of matches, the complaint of 200-plus totals has jumped to 159 instances -- a 2.74x rise.

The increasing imbalance

In a freewheeling chat with TimesofIndia.com, Shamsi made a scathing remark connected the increasing imbalance successful modern cricket, particularly successful T20 cricket."The equilibrium is truthful heavy successful favour of the batters that it is not amusive anymore," helium said."Imagine successful boxing if 1 combatant was asked to combat with 1 manus tied down their backmost portion the different could punch with some hands. Would that beryllium fair? Would that beryllium entertaining?"In football, if 1 squad was allowed to person a goalkeeper and the different squad was not, would that beryllium fair?"It feels similar that is however severely the bowlers are being handicapped successful astir T20 games nowadays.

For immoderate athletics to beryllium entertaining, it needs to beryllium a just contest."

While Shamsi has raised superior concerns implicit the increasing imbalance, Jayawardene disagrees and does not spot this arsenic a large concern."It is not an casual question. There are galore factors involved. In places similar Australia, you person bully wickets but bigger grounds, which makes a difference," helium told reporters connected the eve of their lucifer against Delhi Capitals astatine the Arun Jaitley Stadium successful New Delhi."In the IPL, venues are smaller and pitches are often bully for batting, truthful people six-hitting becomes easier. In T20 cricket today, a par people is astir 180. Even successful tougher conditions, it is astir 160, and connected amended surfaces it tin spell up to 200."I inactive consciousness bowlers are executing well. Their accomplishment levels are high, and I bash not spot this arsenic a large issue," helium added.