The T20 World Cup takes the IPL template forward | Number Theory

Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka saw record runs and faster scoring, mirroring IPL trends, with India winning the title for the second time.

The recently-concluded men’s T20 World Cup, held in India and Sri Lanka, has taken the same evolutionary path that the Indian Premier League (IPL) has sprinted on in the past couple of seasons. The batsmen have stepped on the pedal, amassing a whole lot more runs and at a faster rate than ever before. Their hustle has been defined by their increasing ability to find the ropes, even clear it. And no one did this better than the winners for the second time on the trot: India.

Men’s T20 World Cup, held in India and Sri Lanka, has taken same evolutionary path that IPL has sprinted on in past couple of seasons

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  Towards 200

  While the T20 World Cup started in 2007, it was in 2014 that it expanded to a 16-team format and later to 20 teams, featuring a growing number of associate countries. The 2026 edition was the sixth in the expanded format. For the first time, the average run rate crossed 8 runs per over—or, a score of 160 runs over 20 overs. One reason could be that sub-continent pitches, especially in India, are especially friendly to batsmen. But India had also hosted the tournament in 2016, and the average run rate then was 7.62. India stands out in the 2026 collective. Against the tournament average of 8.4 runs per over, India galloped at 9.7 runs per over—almost 200 runs per innings and the highest among the 20 teams. In the first two editions, India’s scoring rate was below the tournament average. In the subsequent four editions, it has been above, that too with a progressively increasing differential. In this edition, three other teams crossed 9 runs per over, namely New Zealand, West Indies and South Africa.
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  Going for broke

  In the 2026 edition, as many as 15 of the 20 teams averaged more than 8 runs per over. The needle has moved amid a greater proficiency in striking boundaries and sixers. For example, in 2024, on average, a boundary was struck about every 11 balls and a six about every 21 balls. In 2026, these averages were down to 8.7 balls and 16.1 balls, respectively. What’s remarkable is how the six-hitting prowess has expanded in T20 cricket, as was seen in the IPL in the past couple of seasons and now in this world cup. The trend lines for the average number of balls taken for a boundary and sixer are converging. In India’s case, it is even more striking. While the tournament averaged 16 balls per six, India averaged just 10.6.
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  Dot-sized targets

  A more prolific ability to strike boundaries and sixers is showing up in the increasing share of these two run-scoring shots—and, by extension, in the totals themselves. In the previous five editions, the share of 4s and 6s in the total runs ranged from 47% to 54%. In 2026, it shot up to 59.4%. Once again, India stood atop this list, amassing 67.5% of its runs via shots where its batsmen did not have to run. The scary thing for bowlers is that, statistically speaking, there’s still room for incremental gains on the frequency of boundaries and sixers, as some of the innings showed. Bowlers are under pressure, more than ever. Against about 48% in 2024, the share of dot balls bowled in 2026 edition fell to 38.3%—the lowest in the last six editions.
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  Maximum runs

  Almost all leading run-scorers in this world cup showed immense skill and returns from the two maximum shots. Of the top 20 run-getters, as many as 17 scored more than 60% of their runs through a boundary or a sixer. Six of them were Indians, underscoring India’s batting might. Leading this list was Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan of India, with 79% and 76%, respectively. Samson was unique in that he not only ended up as the second-highest run-getter, he also scored more runs via sixes than fours. There were six others from the top 20 run-getters who did that, but they also faced fewer balls, coming down the order. What’s clear is that batsmen continue to stretch the boundaries of possibilities, and there is still room for gains.

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