IPL – BigCricket

T20 cricket has come a long way since its first official match was played in June 2003 between the English counties. T20 World Cup helped to popularize the format while its fame also received a big boost due to T20 leagues like the Indian Premier League, the Big Bash League and the Pakistan Super League etc.

Now teams spend a lot of money and energy in the planning and strategy of T20 matches, which were initially derided as pyjama cricket. Franchises work meticulously and use numbers to improve different aspects of the game. Particularly in tournaments like the IPL, data analysis is revolutionizing the game. It is now employed by teams for recruitment, selection and tactics.

Mumbai Indians have the distinction of being the most successful team in the history of IPL. Their successes are largely due to the smart use of data, according to famous journalist Tim Wigmore.

“Mumbai Indians’ success has been rooted in out-thinking their opponents,” says Wigmore. “They are excellent at doing it before they even get to the auction table.

“They’ve got a very good idea of how to assemble a team because they’ve used data to establish the best strategy. Then they have a really strong scouting system that allows them to chase all of the most undervalued domestic talent.

1- Time

Time has become very precious in the modern world where people have plenty of work engagements. Therefore, they can only afford to spend a little time on fun and leisure activities.

Test matches continue for five days, making the format less suited to the needs of cricket fans. While T20 matches last for only about 3.5 hours and that makes it convenient for people to watch an entire match. Since the format is highly suitable to the entertainment needs of cricket enthusiasts, it is little wonder that the popularity of T20 is also increasing.

For first-timers, it seems a very attractive option as the games are short and the spectacle is great.

2- Spectacle

In Test and ODI matches, batsmen play very cautiously with keeping wickets in hand their main concern. Therefore, spectators only get to watch an occasional six or four.

Things are vastly different in T20 cricket where it’s all about explosive hitting. Batsmen throw all the caution to the wind and try to smash boundaries and sixers on every few deliveries. This makes for a great sporting spectacle, and people in the stadium as well as those watching on television immensely enjoy it.

These T20 games are often played in conditions more favourable to the batsmen, and so the batters make full use of that advantage to provide a good display for the fans. Teams also prefer power hitters who can swing the momentum to their side in a few overs through their destructive batting. Bowlers often resort to Yorkers or slow deliveries, but that can also backfire, allowing batsmen to hit 4s and 6s.

3- Fast-paced nature

The defensive and slow nature of Test cricket doesn’t make a great spectacle to the television audience. Fans have to endure long, dull periods where nothing happens, with batsmen only thwarting the bowlers’ moves and not attempting something new and interesting by themselves.

The matches become very uninteresting sometimes in ODIs as well, especially when one team loses a couple of early wickets and they become very defensive. However, T20 games rarely become dull and mostly provide a great sporting spectacle. Batsmen always look to hit boundaries and sixers, without worrying a lot about losing their wickets. Consequently, spectators either get to see explosive hitting or the fall of wickets and so they get a good display in both cases.

Due to the fast-paced nature of T20, the momentum of the matches can turn very quickly. Just a single good over can bring the losing team back in the game, while a bad over can cause irreversible damage to the prospects of the winning team. Spectators in the stadium and the TV audience always get good value for their time and effort in T20 matches.

One cannot get such excitement and thrill from any other sporting event. Even viewing football matches and Premier League goal leaders in action cannot give one the same thrill.

Hyderabad (162/4) have handed the Capitals (147/7) their first loss of the IPL season in the same match the Sunrisers claim their first victory, with the home side winning by 15 runs.

Hyderabad were sent into bat after Delhi won the toss, with opening pair David Warner and Jonny Bairstow combining for a 77-run first-wicket partnership.

The Australian went for 45 runs off 33 deliveries, hitting five boundaries until he was dismissed in the 10th over after edging a reverse sweep attempt behind to Capitals keeper Rishabh Pant off leg-spinner Amit Mishra. First drop Manish Pandey managed just three runs before a top edge shot to Kagiso Rabada gave Mishra his second wicket, welcoming Kane Williamson to the crease.

Williamson and Bairstow put together a 52-run partnership until the 18th over, with the Englishman being dismissed for 53 runs from 48 balls. Williamson continued to look deadly for the Sunrisers, knocking 41 from 26 deliveries. The New Zealand captain was dismissed with two balls to spare in his side’s innings.

Abdul Samad and Abhishek Sharma ended the innings not out, scoring 12 (7) and 1 (1) respectively. Rabada and Mishra were the only two wicket-takers for Delhi, with the batting side ending the 20 overs on 162/4. The South African went for 21 runs off his four overs, while Mishra went for 35 for his spell.

Anrich Nortje and Ishant Sharma proved to be costly for Delhi, with the South African ending a four over spell with 40 runs next to his name. Sharma opened the bowling and ended the innings with 26 runs from his three overs. Australian Marcus Stoinis and all-rounder Axar Patel went for 22/0 and 14/0 respectively.   

It made for an exciting first innings, and for all other latest Cricket news, scores, tips and podcasts, visit Sportsadda.com, along with videos, squad information and much more.

As the change of innings came, the Capitals were going to need a strong start to their chase as Hyderabad planned to transition their confident batting display into an attacking onslaught with the ball in-hand.

Unfortunately for Delhi, their opening partnership failed to last the opening over as batsman Prithvi Shaw was dismissed by Bhuvneshwar Kumar for just two runs from five balls. Shaw edged a passing delivery behind to Bairstow, giving the Sunrisers an early victory.

First drop Shreyas Iyer joined Shikhar Dharwan at the crease, with the partnership adding 40 runs until the eighth over. Iyer was soon dismissed off a menacing Rashid Khan delivery, with the batsman being caught by Abdul Samad for 17 runs.

Dhawan continued his onslaught alongside Pant, before the Indian opener was caught behind, giving Khan his second wicket of the game. Dhawan left the pitch with 34 runs from 31 deliveries.

Incoming batsman Shimron Hetmyer and Pant looked comfortable together at the crease, adding 42 runs before the West Indies striker was caught by Manish Pandey off a Kumar delivery. The Capitals sat at 104/4 off 15.1 overs, needing 59 from from their final 29 deliveries. Australian all-rounder Stoinis joined Pant at the crease, only for the keeper to go out in the next over.

Pant was caught by Priyam Garg for 28 runs to give Khan a third wicket of his spell, leaving Stoinis and Patel at the crease needing 36 runs from 20 deliveries. The Australian was soon the next piece to fall, ending his stint with just 11 runs as Delhi continued their chase with two overs to spare.

Patel failed to take advantage of the Sunrisers’ attack, while tail-ender Rabada quickly moved to 15 from 7 deliveries. Patel was dismissed with three balls to go, bringing Nortje to the crease. The Capitals required 25 from the final three deliveries, and the victory was sown up for Hyderabad.

The Capitals ended 7 wickets for 147, 15 runs short of their target, handing the Sunrisers their first win of the campaign, with Rashid Khan winning Man of the Match honours for his three wicket spell, conceding just 14 runs from four overs.

Kumar added two wickets of his own, bowling 25/2 off four overs, while Khaleel Ahmed (43/1) and Thangarau Natarajan (25/1) also had a hand in the dismissals. Sharma ended his four wicket spell with 34 runs against his name without taking a wicket.

Hyderabad moved to a 1-2 record in sixth while Delhi sit in second with a 2-1 start. The Sunrisers will look ahead to their clash against Chennai Super Kings in a couple of days time, while Delhi will host Kolkata Knight Riders on the weekend.