The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season has witnessed an unprecedented batting onslaught, leaving bowlers struggling to contain the run flow. The combination of flat pitches and shortened boundaries has created a nightmare scenario for bowlers, with scores in excess of 250 runs becoming commonplace.
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) pacer Mohammed Siraj has acknowledged the challenges faced by bowlers this season. “The level of cricket has gone extremely high,” he said. “Every second game, you see scores of 250-260 in the IPL. But, this was not the case in the past. Very rarely have we seen scores of 250 or more in the previous seasons.”
The lack of swing and movement on the flat wickets has further compounded the bowlers’ woes. “Bowlers have no help,” Siraj lamented. “The boundaries are small. On top of that, these are flat wickets. In the past, there was swing with the new ball. That too is not happening now. It has changed a lot. For bowlers, the mantra is ‘keep playing, keep getting hit’.”
Despite the adversity, Siraj remains optimistic and urges bowlers to maintain their belief. “We (Bowlers) have to believe,” he said. “For me especially, I have seen a lot of ups and downs in life. I believe that if I get hit in a match, I can bounce back in the next. I always look to bounce back and never give up.”
Siraj also emphasized the need for bowlers to adapt to the changing conditions. “The game has gone to a level such that if I get hit even after bowling a good delivery, I don’t have a problem,” he said. “I haven’t bowled badly in the tournament. (A bowler conceding) 40 runs has become normal. In the past, it was like ‘Oh no, he has given 40 runs in 4 overs’. But, 40 runs have become normal.”
As the IPL 2024 season progresses, it remains to be seen how bowlers will respond to the batting onslaught. The flat pitches and shortened boundaries are likely to continue to favor batsmen, but bowlers will need to find ways to adapt and contain the run flow if they want to succeed in this high-scoring environment.
