Slow tracks making batsmen earn their runs this IPL

BY Aakash Kumar

New Delhi, April 29 (IANS) One significant thing which has come to the fore so far in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) edition is the drop in the scores posted by all the eight franchises. So far, the average scores posted by the teams lie between 150-160, which is quite less if one compares it to the previous years.

Only in 10 matches out of the 47 played till Sunday, have the teams been able to go past the 200-mark this season, with the highest total being 232/2 posted by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

Whereas in 2018, the teams were able to breach the 200-run mark 15 times, with the highest being that of 245/6 posted by KKR. There are 12 matches left to the final.

The highest total in the history of IPL has been 263/5, posted by Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in 2013.

So, what's the reason that teams have not been able to score big in IPL 2019?

Well, the decrease in average scoring rate is basically because of the lack of runs being scored at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai and Feroz Shah Kotla in New Delhi. In fact, Chennai witnessed the lowest score in the opening game itself after RCB were bowled out for mere 70.

The average score in Chennai so far has been hovering around 140 while Delhi has produced an average score of around 160 in this season. This can be contributed to the slow nature of the wickets where batsmen have found it extremely difficult to score boundaries.

In Bengaluru as well, average score have reduced if one compares the previous IPL editions. While, in 2018, the average first inning score at Chinnaswamy was almost 190, this year, it has reduced to 180.

However, Mumbai (around 185), Hyderabad (around170) and Kolkata (around 195) have yielded higher scores because of the fast nature of the tracks and shorter boundaries. Batsmen have found it comparatively easy to hit down the line and go for the maximums, which has not been the case in other grounds.

Punjab (around 170) and Rajasthan (around 165) have lived up to the expectations of being high scoring grounds with lightening-fast outfields and dew making it easier for the batsmen to go for the big shots.

With temperatures soaring above 40 degrees in almost all the venues, the pitches have become dry and slower, thus making it more difficult for batsmen to score runs. Not to forget the record number of games that were played in India this season after new teams from the Northeast were added to the domestic competitions.

(Aakash Kumar can be contacted at aakash.k@ians.in)