It’s likely that as the 2024 season of the Indian Premier League gets into its business end, the soaring mercury and tired pitches will bring totals down to a more realistic level. But what has been seen in the first month and a bit of the tournament would have made many wonder whether they were watching the same sport they used to in times gone by.

Before this year, T20 scores in excess of 200 were exceptions rather than the rule, and instances of such totals being chased down were only a handful. But this season, scores of above 250 have not been safe, to an extent that teams now openly contemplate targeting totals of 300 or beyond.

Consider this: A score of 300 in 20 overs equates to a run rate of 15 an over, or 2.5 runs per ball. Sunrisers Hyderabad have already reached 287 in this tournament. There would have been a few ‘inevitable’ cheap overs (relatively speaking) in that innings, so the scope of breaking the 300-run barrier is realistic.

But one shouldn’t feign surprise at these developments. Since the time the T20 format came into existence, it has been marching in this direction. Now an innings is not made up of 20 overs, but 120 deliveries, each a distinct event in itself. That eliminates the possibility of setting up a batsman and planning a wicket, and second-guessing a batsman is limited to thwarting his aggressive intentions.

The goal of a batsman (the words ‘striker’ or ‘hitter’ would be apter) is to utilise these ‘resources’ in the most optimal fashion. That would be achieved by hitting as many sixes as possible or fours – the next best outcome.

Rotating strike after a big shot, running hard between wickets, and batting through an innings were considered virtues not too long ago. But with the current emphasis being on strike rates rather than batting averages, playing a long knock (by T20 standards) – especially if it’s not at break-neck speed – is often considered counter-productive.   

Building an inning over a longer period, batting in different gears at different times, and even playing out a quality spell from a top bowler are skills often considered superfluous in the helter-skelter of modern T20 cricket. The gain in ‘excitement’ is counterbalanced by a loss in nuance.   

Lopsided contest

The objective of the bowler, unless his name is Jasprit Bumrah, is to avoid getting hit for sixes and fours as much as he can. Wickets are a by-product of this exercise, as taking risks with almost every ball is bound to bring the bowler into the game. There will be occasions when a side will be bowled out cheaply in this endeavour, but the risk is considered worth taking as a moderate total, more often than not, won’t be nearly enough to make a match of it.

Gone are the days when scores of around 160 would be considered more than competitive (India won its only T20 world title scoring 157 batting first in the final), and anything above 180 was often considered a winning total.

A lot has been made of the flat batting surfaces, heavy bats, and small grounds contributing to the recent run-fests and six-hitting contests. In the IPL, the option of an extra batsman in the form of the Impact Sub has also made teams more fearless. In any case, having 10 wickets to play with in 20 overs makes it a lopsided contest to start with, as even the best bowler in a side cannot bowl more than four overs.

But we have been going this way for some time now, ever since cricket adopted the franchise model for the T20 format. After corporates took ownership of teams, paying big bucks to players, coaches, and support staff, every little detail has been given almost disproportionate focus, and every little advantage sought.

The advent of set-piece coaches, and even those focusing on such mundane events as throw-ins, is a relatively recent phenomenon in football. In cricket, the proliferation of T20 leagues around the world has given rise to the specialisation called the ‘power-hitting coach’, Julian Wood being the pioneer in this field.

It assumes that smashing sixes is an attribute that can be learned, with batting – as opposed to hitting – being a more skill-based activity. There are more subtleties in bowling – such as the ability to bowl fast, make the ball deviate in the air or off the surface, or bowling a pinpoint yorker – qualities that need months and years of hard work to perfect.

Swimming against the tide

It’s not as if bowlers are not trying to devise ways to stay relevant while the balance of the T20 game moves ever more in the opposite direction. Change of pace, slower bouncers, and wide yorkers are innovations that have come into the game in recent years. But the fearless attitude that has taken hold of batsmen, knowing that this format is made for them, ensures that bowlers have no room for error.

If a full delivery misses its mark by inches, it’s smashed out of the ground. If the wide yorker is slightly errant, it’s called a wide. If the batsman correctly anticipates a change of pace, a six is the result. The new playing condition of allowing two bouncers in an over was supposed to redress the balance somewhat, but if the short ball is not on the money, it results in an extra run and another delivery. And we haven’t even talked about the dew during evening IPL matches, which makes bowling an even more thankless exercise.

The T20 World Cup starts within days of the IPL ending. There’s a possibility that with a change in conditions and the absence of the Impact Sub, it would be more of a contest between bat and ball rather than between bat and bat. The standard of cricket seen when two top international sides face off is anyway much higher than what’s seen in franchise matches. That may be the reason why India has persisted with veterans who have been brought up on the traditional virtues of the game. Whether this line of thinking reaps dividends, only time will tell.