Just when you thought the Indian Premier League touched its batting zenith in 2024, the 2025 season has already started to push the boundaries, a little further.
In the opening seven games of the ongoing season, the overall run rate has been 10.32, the highest it has ever been in a campaign and nearly a run more than what it was in 2024 (9.56).
Amidst this wholesale adoption of break-neck batting, there still exists space for teams to adapt to conditions and opponents, believes Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene and Gujarat Titans assistant coach Parthiv Patel.
“We have to segregate the venues and the opposition. Each venue, each opposition throws us different challenges and that’s something that we will focus on. We see what happens in those venues, those particular opponents, how they play.
So as long as we understand that, then we can plan and structure things. And once we get to that venue, once we see that opposition, that’s when our plans come into play,” said Jayawardene on the eve of his side’s match against Gujarat Titans.
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Parthiv, leaning on his experience as an opener, emphasised the need to assess conditions in T20 batting.
“When I started opening, our thinking was if we scored 45 for one, it would be a good PowerPlay. Then it went on to become 50, 55, 60. But, I think we still have to look at the conditions.
If you are playing in Chennai a 150 score is [often] good enough. When you are looking at all the games, generally you tend to think 70 is the benchmark. But ultimately, what kind of conditions we are playing in, that matters the most,” opined Parthiv.
The Titans began their season by ending up on the wrong side of a high-scoring thriller against Punjab Kings at home. Parthiv referred to the match-winning bowling performance of Kings pacer Vyshak Vijay Kumar to establish that bowlers still have a space in the game.
“I thought even after scoring 475 [match aggregate], no one was talking about the batting of Shreyas or Sudharsan or Shashank. It was about how Vyashak finished the match with the ball. So it does come down to how well you bowl at the end of the day. I think that one over two overs makes a huge difference,” said Parthiv.