'Would football be fun if every game had 45 goals?': More sixes, flat pitches not making IPL 'more special'

Q: Why is there so much talk about high scores in the IPL right now?

High scores are becoming more common because 200-plus totals are being posted far more often than in earlier seasons. The article says the IPL has seen a sharp rise in run rates and in matches where teams cross 200, with the current season already producing 11 such scores in 13 games.

Q: What do the players quoted in the article think about batting-friendly pitches and six-hitting?

The views are split. Tabraiz Shamsi says the game is becoming too biased toward batters and that it is no longer fun without a fair contest, while Mahela Jayawardene says smaller IPL grounds and good batting pitches naturally make six-hitting easier and does not see it as a major problem.

NEW DELHI: In last year’s Indian Premier League (IPL), teams crossed the 200-run mark a record 52 times. In the ongoing season, the 200-run mark has already been breached 11 times in just 13 matches, with 61 games still to go. This has now become a clear trend. So much so that during the 2026 T20 World Cup, broadcasters were even debating whether India could cross the 300-run mark. However, the loss in Ahmedabad against South Africa in the Super Eight provided the eventual champions with a reality check.

IPL 2026 began on a high, with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru chasing down a 202-run target in just 15.4 overs at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. In the next match, five-time champions Mumbai Indians chased down Kolkata Knight Riders’ 220-run target in 19.1 overs. The following three matches, however, saw a slight lull as pitches offered a more balanced contest between bat and ball.

Over the last four seasons, the run rate has risen significantly. In IPL 2022, the run rate was 8.54. It increased to 8.99 in IPL 2023, then climbed to 9.56 in IPL 2024, and further to 9.62 in IPL 2025. This steady rise clearly indicates an upward trend, and IPL 2026 is unlikely to be any different.

There has been a big uptick in 200-plus totals in the IPL. The first 10 seasons (2008-2018) produced 67 200-plus totals while the next nine seasons, including the ongoing edition, has witnessed a jaw-dropping 207 such totals -- a 3x growth.

Even during this period, the first five seasons (2017-21), had 58 instances of 200-plus totals from 299 matches. Since 2022, in approximately the same number of matches, the rate of 200-plus totals has jumped to 159 instances -- a 2.74x rise.

The growing imbalance

In a freewheeling chat with TimesofIndia.com, Shamsi made a scathing remark on the growing imbalance in modern cricket, especially in T20 cricket.

"The balance is so heavily in favour of the batters that it is not fun anymore," he said.

"Imagine in boxing if one fighter was asked to fight with one hand tied behind their back while the other could punch with both hands. Would that be fair? Would that be entertaining?

"In football, if one team was allowed to have a goalkeeper and the other team was not, would that be fair?

"It feels like that is how badly the bowlers are being handicapped in most T20 games nowadays. For any sport to be entertaining, it needs to be a fair contest."

While Shamsi has raised serious concerns over the growing imbalance, Jayawardene disagrees and does not see this as a major concern.

"It is not an easy question. There are many factors involved. In places like Australia, you have good wickets but bigger grounds, which makes a difference," he told reporters on the eve of their match against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.

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"In the IPL, venues are smaller and pitches are often good for batting, so naturally six-hitting becomes easier. In T20 cricket today, a par score is around 180. Even in tougher conditions, it is about 160, and on better surfaces it can go up to 200.

"I still feel bowlers are executing well. Their skill levels are high, and I do not see this as a major issue," he added.