I was commentating on the match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants when I suddenly realized that the way T20 cricket is played is changing right before my eyes this IPL.
The contrast between the two teams was striking. Lucknow fought to 165 on a pitch that looked slow, sticky and difficult to score at will. KL Rahul took his usual safety-first approach and his score of 165 was as good as one would expect, even if he was only 27-2 in the powerplay.
What happened in the Sunrisers chase was amazing. Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma played as if they had not seen the first innings.
Without thinking anything about the slowness of the pitch, they literally just tried to hit all six balls and the end result was a score of 107 with no loss in 6 overs, the second highest power play score in the history of men's T20 cricket (This pales in comparison to his incredible 125 against Delhi Capitals last month). The power play difference between the two teams ended up being a staggering 80 points.
Sunrisers eventually chased down the target in less than 10 overs, with a shocked Rahul enthusiastically praising the top-order's 'Travishek' combo (I think we'll be hearing that phrase more often).
But the bottom line is that Rahul himself was primarily responsible for the annihilation his side suffered. The Supergiants played the T20, assessing the pitch, keeping wickets in hand in the middle overs, and attacking at the end, seemingly reaching a defensible score. Except it wasn't.
These tactics won't work against a team that has two confident leadoff pitchers and doesn't care about taking chances and getting out early. Head and Abhishek put intense pressure on the bowlers from the first ball, resulting in more bad balls. In that situation, even the best bowlers tend to wilt.
This seems like a new way of playing and unless teams like Lucknow adapt, they will be left behind.
It will be interesting to see how the teams perform in the Men's T20 World Cup in June. Will we see the same full-on aggression? I have a feeling we will, unless the pitches are extremely slow. And he may look back on his IPL in 2024 as having changed the way T20 cricket is played forever.
Hyderabad's victory means Mumbai Indians officially become the first team to miss out on the playoffs. Their batting last year was very impressive and with the return of Jasprit Bumrah, I genuinely thought they might dominate the team and go all the way (see my team guide for the tournament preview) see dire predictions).
To say their campaign was a bit of a swamp would be an understatement. While Bumrah is at his mesmerizing best, the rest of the attack is abysmal, with the lack of quality spinners hurting them once again.
The superstar batting lineup is also not doing well. It is expected that major changes will be made at the mega auction by next season. They should start by acquiring some quality international bowlers and generally revamping their overseas squad, which is severely lacking compared to other franchises.
Therefore, unless either Royal Challengers Bangalore or Punjab Kings win their final three games and are given a chance, it will likely be a four-way battle for the remaining two playoff spots.
Sunrisers' batting is virtually unstoppable when they are in good form, and with both of their final group games being played at home, it seems very likely that they will finish in the top four. Lucknow have two decent games left against Mumbai and Delhi on paper – even if both are away – but after seeing that big blow by Sunrisers. It seems hard to support them.
Chennai Super Kings still have a game left compared to their surrounding rivals, so I might lean towards Ruturaj Gaikwad's side sneaking into the playoffs.
Whatever happens, one thing is certain: the run-scoring epidemic in the IPL this season is not over yet.
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