The 17th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has reached the halfway mark, and the biggest talking point this year has been the dominance of bat over ball with record-breaking totals and aggregates, soaring run rates and sixes galore being the flavour of the season. While Sunrisers Hyderabad have revolutionized their batting at the top of the order and the Kolkata Knight Riders have followed suit, others like the Royal Challengers Bengaluru have been abysmal with the ball and languish at the bottom of the table.

While some of the big-ticket players have failed miserably in the season, the emergence of the new ‘desi’ hitter is one of the highlights of the tournament. The IPL season also started with a big advantage for the home team, but the pattern reversed after the initial set of matches.

Soaring run rates, record totals and sixes galore

Batters have dominated bowlers like never before this IPL season. The average run-rate in IPL 2024 is a staggering 9.49 which is, by some distance, the highest for any season, both after 35 matches and overall! Just for perspective, 2023 was the previous most high-scoring season with a run-rate of 8.99. SRH, with a run-rate of 11.2, are at the top of the pack and are followed by KKR who have a run-rate of 10.6 this season.

The 2024 season has also seen the highest team total in IPL history breached not once but twice by SRH! They smashed 277/3 against the Mumbai Indians in Hyderabad only to better it a few days after by blasting 287/3 against the Challengers in Bengaluru. Four of the five highest team totals in IPL history have come this season. There have been nine 220-plus totals this year and we are just half-way into the tournament! There were a total of seven 220-plus totals in the entire last season.

A total of 618 sixes have been hit in this edition after the first 35 matches and the season record of 1124 set last year is in real danger!

The revolutionary batting template of SRH

The Sunrisers have completely overhauled their batting template at the top of the order and gone on a rampage annihilating opposition attacks in the powerplay. The assault has been led by their opening duo of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma who have smashed 404 runs in six innings with two hundred partnerships at a mind-boggling strike rate of 254! SRH have a run-rate of 12.4 in the powerplay, which is by far, the best in the tournament. They bludgeoned a staggering 125 against the Capitals in Delhi - the highest team score in the powerplay in T20 history!

The perennial bowling woes of the Challengers

Old habits die hard! RCB have again had a nightmare of a season with the ball – in fact, their worst ever till date, and find themselves languishing at the bottom of the points table. RCB have the worst bowling average, strike rate and economy rate in the tournament. Mohammed Siraj’s poor form with the new ball this year has meant that RCB hasn’t made any significant breakthroughs in the powerplay and have also been the most expensive bowling unit in the first six overs. The lack of a quality leg spinner is hurting them big-time in the middle-overs where they haven’t been able to stem the flow of runs this season.

Home-Advantage – not an advantage any more

The home team won 17 of the first 22 matches this season. However, the Sunrisers defeated Punjab Kings in Mullanpur in Match 23 and the trend reversed thereafter. The ‘away’ team has won 10 of the last 13 matches.

Chasing an advantage again

Chasing has been a historical advantage not only in the IPL but generally in all T20 cricket! The team chasing had won as many as 37 matches (and lost just 22) in the 2021 edition of the IPL. It was even-steven in 2022 with the team setting a target and the team defending, both winning 37 matches each. The trend reversed last year with the team batting first coming out victorious in 40 of the 73 result-matches. That same pattern continued for the first quarter this season too. Teams setting the target were victorious in 10 of the first 17 matches. However, chasing became more successful thereafter with the team batting second winning 11 of the next 18 encounters. Overall, the team chasing has won 18 and lost 17 of the 35 matches this season.

The emergence of the ‘desi’ hitter

While some of the big-ticket players have failed to impress, the rise of the fearless ‘desi’ hitter is a rising trend this season. Abhishek Sharma has taken the tournament by storm and blasted 170 runs off just 73 deliveries at a strike rate of 232.9 in the powerplay. Ashutosh Sharma has broken the record for the most runs from number 8 in a season while rescuing PBKS from hopeless situations giving them a chance with his breathtaking counter-attacking stroke-play.

Riyan Parag has finally come of age and is the leading run-getter for the Royals striking at 161.4 in the tournament. Shashank Singh, Shivam Dube and Abdul Samad have also impressed with their striking ability this season. In fact, it is not only the young and the uncapped Indian batters who have made headlines in the competition – the tournament has seen the re-emergence of some old heroes as well. Dinesh Karthik has been in menacing form at the death and has hammered 137 runs off just 54 deliveries at a strike rate of 253.7 in the last 4 overs.

Pacers more threatening but spinners more restrictive

The fast bowlers have shown a greater propensity to pick wickets but have also been taken to the cleaners this season. They have picked a total of 305 wickets at an average of 29.5 and strike rate of 18 but have conceded runs at a rate of 9.86. The spinners, on the other hand, have bagged 108 wickets at an average of 35 and strike rate of 24.3 but have been more restrictive with an economy of 8.6 per over. There are just two spinners – Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav – in the list of the 15 highest wicket-takers of the tournament.

Boom Boom Bumrah – standing tall amongst the carnage

In a tournament where the batters have ruled the roost and how, there stands an exception, who has not only defied the norm but been outstanding at his craft all season. Jasprit Bumrah is the leading wicket-taker of the league so far with 13 dismissals. The sheer brilliance of Bumrah’s genius can be seen from the difference between his numbers and his teammates this season. While Bumrah has an average of 12.8, strike rate of 12.9 and economy of 5.9 in the competition placing him at the very top on all parameters, the other MI bowlers have a collective average of 41.8 and economy of 11!

Bumrah has been the most restrictive bowler in the powerplay (economy of 5.1) and in the death overs (economy of 6.9) in the tournament.

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