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For many years the fag end of the IPL league matches’ phase is usually exciting. Even teams placed below fourth and seventh on the points tally are in the fray to end up being the last four. There are so many permutations and combinations that come into play to decide the teams in the third and fourth positions. Sadly, this year, the story has been quite predictable.Thus far the story has been that the harder you hit the ball, and the longer you hit it, better it will be for your team. This is the critical phase of the tournament when the top four teams want a top-two finish. That is because the top two finish doesn’t have to play the qualifiers 2 against the winners from the eliminator (third and fourth qualifying teams). But this year, we almost know the top two teams of the league phase. Even predicting the third and fourth teams for the knock-out stages isn’t rocket science.
The IPL 2024 is witnessing the same kind of matches, at least the pattern of it. Almost boring and predictable. There is no variety. It is the same old story of winning and chasing. Only the run quotient is big. Is that the reason why the 2024 IPL is so predictable?
By the look of it, the high-scoring affair may appear very exciting but it isn’t good for the game. However, there were two very high-scoring games this year that prompted us to imagine that a score of 300 in 20 stipulated overs is coming soon. But it’s time to stop this flow of runs. Who would forget what the Sunrisers Hyderabad did against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru? Pat Cummins and his men scored the most number of runs in the history of IPL with a score of 287 for three against RCB, who also made 262 in reply in a losing cause. Even the Punjab Kings chased down a winning target of 262 set by the Kolkata Knight Riders in grand style.
Besides these two exceptional matches, most of the IPL games have been high-scoring. With 60-yard boundaries, BCCI manning the pitches, not the franchises, and flat wickets, even a woman cricketer can strike a six here at will. “These are all one-sided matches favoring the batters. It is like a 90:10 ratio. There is nothing for the bowlers and that is why this year’s IPL is too predictable,” Randhir Singh, the coach of Yuzi Chahal, told CricBlogger.
Randhir further argued the repercussions of IPL tilting completely towards the batters and how it will discourage youngsters from becoming bowlers in the future. “As a coach, if you ask me, it is worrying to see the way bowlers are treated in the IPL. It is demoralizing for the youngsters to take up bowling. They all want to bat,” Randhir added. And then, they all want to out-bat the opposition, not out-bowl them!
