It is business as usual in the IPL — Mid-Season review
A lot for the batters, not much for the bowlers
We’re now halfway through the 19th edition of the Indian Premier League, and it is safe to say that, based on the recent seasons, nothing has changed. The matches continue to be a run fest with RPO (runs per over) at 9.85, up from 9.62 last year. Based on the current trajectory, it could be at 10 by the next season or by the end of the season.
Having 200+ team totals is also common as it ever has been. As of writing, there have been 29 instances of a team breaching the 200-run mark, which is on pace to break the record set last season of 52. To put into perspective how this league is a graveyard for bowlers, out of 35 matches so far, only four times has a team defended a first innings total of under 200. That number drops to one if we set the filter at 190.
Anyway, enough doom and gloom. Let’s look at how the teams are doing. This is how the league table looks after 7 matches played by every team.
Favourites {RCB & PBKS}
Last year’s final between the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and the Punjab Kings was special as it was the first time in nine years that a first-time winner was guaranteed. Based on the current form, there is enough reason to expect a rematch in the final. If that were to happen, they would make history as the first teams to meet in consecutive IPL finals.
Being finalists, naturally, they would be expected to be favourites. Additionally, their fine performances so far have added to their case. Punjab in particular did not let the finals loss get to them as they’ve hit the ground running, creating history as the only team to remain undefeated by the halfway point of the season.
RCB, on the other hand, has hit some hurdles along the way, facing two losses out of 7. What separates RCB from the rest of the pack is the sheer amount of experience and depth they possess. Which other team can claim to have someone like Jacob Bethell waiting in the wings?
Contenders {RR & SRH}
Rajasthan Royals had quite the turnaround from last season, winning just four matches last season to matching that total in their first four matches. This includes a win against the defending champions, and they are currently tied in points with them.
The Royals have one of the best opening pairs in the league with Yashasvi Jaiswal and the 15-year-old phenom Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. At the bowling side of things, Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger working in tandem have been a problem for batters in the powerplay — no other bowling pair has taken more wickets than these two.
Their issues are that the rest of the team is not clicking like the aforementioned players — the newly appointed captain, Riyan Parag, has had a terrible start, averaging under 15. Shimron Hetmeyer has not carried over his World Cup form as many expected, and Ravindra Jadeja’s homecoming has so far missed the mark by miles. It is fine for now, but the more time passes with the rest of the team failing to find form, their championship chances get lower. After all, this is still a team sport.
Sunrisers Hyderabad could be the dark horse of the season, similarly to RR, they also have a destructive opening pair in Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma. They are the only team with three players in the top 10 run getters with the aforementioned Abhishek, Ishan Kishan, and Heinrich Klassen. Along with DC, they are one of the most balanced sides in terms of batting contribution between the top order and middle order.
Get Mohammed Thameem’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
{Table showing runs contributed by batting phases for each team}
Eshan Malinga has stepped in the absence of Pat Cummins, and having the 3-time World Cup winner should be a big boost for the side, as their luck has been rotten. Initially, Jack Edwards’injury prompted the team to bring in David Payne, who got injured later on and had to be replaced by Gerald Coetzee.
Pretenders {CSK, GT, DC}
When looking at some of the performances of these three teams, it wouldn’t be wrong for you to think that they might have an outside chance of going all the way, provided luck is on their side. Unfortunately, all three of these teams’ cons outweigh their pros.
The Chennai Super Kings, on paper, have one of the best squads in the league, but they have yet to find the winning combination. Add to the season-ending injury of Ayush Mhatre and the captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad, having one of his worst seasons to date, it leaves the team without direction on what’s next. It is during these times that you realise how important MS Dhoni’s presence is to the team.
For the Gujarat Titans, it is very easy to explain what their problem is. Just go back to that table I showed earlier and check Gujarat’s runs share. They are the only team whose middle order makes up less than 30% of their total runs. When your middle order just makes 1/4th of the runs, it becomes incredibly easy for the opposing bowlers to trap them. If you were to neutralize Gill, Sudharshan, and Butler by the halfway point, you are in the driving seat for the rest of the game.
A few days ago, Delhi Capitals captain KL Rahul scored the third-highest individual score in IPL history. He and Nitish Rana were 10 runs from setting a new highest partnership record, and set up their opponents, the Punjab Kings, to chase 265, which would be a record if they were successful.
They still lost. Quite comfortably, if I may add. This sums up how the Delhi Capitals have been all season.
Their batting has been inconsistent, their bowling subpar, and as we’ve seen in the game against Punjab, the fielding isn’t up to the mark either.
Lost Causes {MI, LSG, KKR}
Honestly speaking, the Mumbai Indians really shouldn’t be here, just like Chennai, they have one of the strongest squads on paper, before the season, with many even calling them favourites. Injuries, bad form, questionable tactics have all led to them vanquishing at the bottom. One or two losses, their season is over, and even if they turn things around, their destiny isn’t in their hands.
KKR and LSG are textbook examples of how messing up a mega auction will decide their fate for that cycle. Overpaying for a player is one thing, but when that player does not perform, it just accentuates how bad a decision that was. Even more so when your previous setup was much more successful, KKR were the champions two seasons ago, while LSG were a regular presence in the playoff picture. I do not see either of these teams getting any better this season. At best, I can see one of them finishing 8th out of 10.
The Orange Cap
Remember when I said in the beginning it was a batting paradise for the batsmen? Let’s put it into a little bit more perspective. On April 25th, the sun rose with Virat Kohli leading the scoring charts, and when the sun set, the Orange Cap belonged to KL Rahul. Within two hours, it landed on the head of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, and by midnight, the owner was Abhishek Sharma.
Less than 100 runs separate the top 10; it’s that close.
The fact that Kohli and Sooryavanshi are fighting for the orange cap is a sight to behold. Kohli, who has been in the IPL since the first season, one of the greatest the sport has ever seen, is still fighting for the top spot, showing the sort of class he still possesses. At the other end of the spectrum, Sooryavanshi, at 15 years of age, in his second-ever season, doing the things that he does is inexplicable. Do not let the detractors saying the pitches are flat and batting-friendly take away from what this young man is doing.
The Purple Cap
As of writing, Chennai Super Kings Anshul Kamboj leads the way with 14 wickets at an economy rate of 8.95. The leading wicket taker going at nearly nine an over should tell you all you need to know. Eshan Malinga, Jofra Archer, and Prince Yadav are all hot on his tail, though.
The Punjab Kings, who are undefeated, have not had a single player in the top 10, and the second-placed RCB has one player in the top 10, showing just how unimportant bowlers have become in the grand scheme of things.
Hopefully, the second half of the season balances it out.
Thanks for reading my story.
