'Powerplays have become decisive': Punjab Kings coach explains IPL 2026's biggest shift

NEW CHANDIGARH: Sometime in the IPL 2026 season, the middle overs stopped mattering. The death overs still produce their theatre but a growing number of games this season have been decided within the first six overs. The two Powerplays, therefore, have become the most consequential stretch of a match.

Punjab Kings assistant coach Brad Haddin has been watching this shift from close quarters. “What we are seeing is a trend throughout the tournament and how impressive most teams at the top have been in the first six overs,” he said. “It’s so hard to stop teams now with the way they’re playing the first six overs. That’s why Powerplay is becoming decisive and many games are being decided within the two Powerplays in the two innings.

“You’ve obviously got the replacement player to come in so you can juggle whether that’s an extra batsman, allowing your top order to go harder than they have done in the past,” Haddin said.

The presence of that extra batter has altered intent. Risk is no longer optional or a gamble, it is an instruction. For bowlers and coaches, this has triggered a constant search for disruption. “From a coach’s point of view, you’ve got to keep trying to find ways where you can slow the scoring down,” Haddin said. “It can be about picking wickets. It can be about getting the batsman to hit you in the area that you want him to hit.”
Rajasthan Royals seamer Sandeep Sharma echoed the sentiment. “Powerplays are becoming so crucial that matches are often decided within those opening phases of both innings,” he said.

What makes this shift particularly striking is the consistency with which teams are executing it. This is no longer about one or two sides redefining the tempo; it is a tournament-wide phenomenon. “The first six overs have turned into a decisive phase this tournament, with teams consistently excelling and making it tough for bowlers to respond,” Sharma added.