Lessons from the batting frenzy that marked the 2024 IPL

The 17th edition of the IPL witnessed a paradigm shift in batting approach, with record totals, more sixes, and a faster run rate, leading to KKR's title win.

In years gone by, the takeaways and trends from an Indian Premier League (IPL) season haven’t stayed in public memory for too long after its conclusion. If the 17th edition of the marquee T20 league turns out to be any different, it will be because this season is responsible for a paradigm shift in batting approach, the effects of which are likely to be felt well into the future. Eight of the nine highest totals in the tournament’s history came this season. More sixes (1,260) were hit than ever before. The highest successful chase in T20 history was Punjab Kings (PBKS) tracking down 262 against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) with eight balls to spare in the last week of April. The overall run rate for the season was an unprecedented 9.6 per over.

The overall run rate for the season was an unprecedented 9.6 per over. (PTI)

That KKR and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) — the two teams who set the tone by relying on an ultra-aggressive method with the bat — made the final was an apt reflection of the changing dynamics. KKR were the slightly superior team with bases covered in all departments, and deservedly won their third IPL title by romping to an eight-wicket win against SRH on Sunday.

Batters dominateAn inkling of the batting pyrotechnics that lit up this year’s IPL came last season. With the Impact Player rule introduced ahead of the 2023 edition — it allows for a 12th player to come in at any stage in a match, resulting in teams generally having a specialist batter till No.8 while batting and as many as six bowling options while fielding — batters were emboldened to go after the bowling from ball one without fearing about the repercussions of losing wickets. In a format intrinsically biased towards the batter anyway, the balance has only tilted further this year towards those wielding the willow.

In each of the different phases constituting a T20 match, numbers bear testimony. The run rate in the Powerplay (first six overs) this year was 9.5, considerably higher than last year’s 8.7. Sunrisers were particularly responsible for the carnage in the early overs. With Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma opening the batting, the “see ball, hit ball” approach was followed religiously by the two destructive left-hand batters. They scored a record 125/0 in the first six overs against Delhi Capitals and scored 78 or more runs when the fielding restrictions were in place — a run rate of 13 — as many as five times. The fact that neither Head nor Abhishek came to the party in the business end also eventually let SRH down.

In the middle overs and death overs, too, a surge in scoring rates was apparent. Even a couple of years ago, the middle overs seemed to be predominantly about picking up the odd boundary and preserving wickets to launch in the slog overs. Now if no more than two wickets are lost in the first six overs, teams are looking to capitalise on the middle phase too.

“The mindset has shifted. It’s phenomenal where the game is going. For me, T20 batting is the fastest evolving part of any sport in the world,” Julian Wood, a specialist power-hitting coach who has previously worked with Punjab Kings (PBKS), said recently. “The way batters approach the first six overs especially... they just basically go now. It’s as simple as that.”

Kohli’s change in approach Amid the advancement in batting mindset that this season highlighted, what didn’t change was Virat Kohli’s indefatigable consistency. He finished with 741 runs in 15 matches at an average of 61.75 to take the honour of being the tournament’s leading run-getter even as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) failed to end their trophy-less run.

Along with the runs came a perceptible shift in his approach, especially in the second half of the season. Consider these numbers — Kohli’s strike rate of 154.7 is his highest in an IPL season and his tally of 38 sixes is his joint-best, on par with his record-breaking 2016 season when he racked up 973 runs.

It reveals that Kohli can change gears and clear boundary ropes when he really desires. Perhaps knowing he was RCB’s best batter had conditioned him to playing in a relatively cautious manner, but as he showed after sparking legitimate criticism for his 43-ball 51 against SRH in Hyderabad on April 25, he is quite capable of staying in sync with the rapidly evolving demands of the shortest format.

It bodes well for India going into the T20 World Cup that he is in form and playing the way that a top-order T20 batter ideally should.

Bumrah and Narine lead the way If batters are going to show no mercy and the pitches are as flat as they were in the first few weeks of the competition, how do the bowlers cope? There is no simple answer, unless you are Jasprit Bumrah or Sunil Narine.

Bumrah, armed with every delivery and variation that it is possible for a pacer to have, stood out with an economy of 6.48 while claiming 20 scalps in 13 matches. It is one thing to have the variations, but Bumrah also nails them with far greater consistency than any of his peers. That Mumbai Indians can call on Bumrah is a luxury they didn’t make best use of.

“Look at Bumrah...good bowlers can survive in this version of the game as well,” West Indies batting legend Brian Lara said in an interview. “I would like to see their skills improve. I would like to see them get it right a lot more. Sometimes you can tell that a bowler has given up.”

The other bowler who was an anomaly this season was Narine. While his headline-grabbing acts came with the bat at the top of the order, the spinner was effective enough to claim 17 wickets in 15 matches at an economy of 6.69. He’s not been a prolific wicket-taker ever since he had to remodel his bowling action some years ago, but batters continue to show restraint against him.

Besides them, Mitchell Starc came good towards the end to justify his price tag of ₹24.75 crore. The differentiator was that he found swing with the new ball, in turn making decisive breakthroughs that won him Player of the Match awards in Qualifier 1 and the final.

Emerging stars The tagline of “talent meeting opportunity” is an enduring pull of IPL as emerging stars create new storylines and excitement. This time, too, there were many young faces whose performances will compel us to follow their progress.

If Mayank Yadav of the Lucknow Super Giants enraptured us with his searing pace — he bowled the fastest ball of the tournament (156.7kph) — Riyan Parag of the Rajasthan Royals realised his long-held promise with a breakthrough season. Promoted to No.4, Parag’s 573 runs (average 52.09, strike rate 149.21) meant he was only behind Kohli and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad in the list of run-getters. Harshit Rana, Nitish Reddy, Ashutosh Sharma and Shashank Singh were some of the others who made their presence felt in the IPL for the first time.

The ultimate objective of any domestic league, however, is to help create an environment for success at the international level. How much then will eight weeks of relentless IPL action help the Indian team as it heads to the United States and Caribbean for the T20 World Cup? It hasn’t for the last 16 years. Will things change, at last, in a month’s time?