In IPL 2024, bowlers claimed 28 wickets from 758 yorkers throughout 74 video games. This season, they’ve already picked up 22, with 24 matches nonetheless to go. Batters have struck at simply 81 in opposition to yorkers — the bottom IPL strike price for this size since 2020.
Dot-ball proportion from yorkers has surged to 44.6, the best ever. The boundary price — 6.66% — is among the many lowest on document, bettered solely in 2019 and 2020.
Avesh Khan leads the yorker charts. In 10 matches for Lucknow Tremendous Giants, he’s landed 24 yorkers and conceded simply 19 runs. Chennai Tremendous Kings’ Matheesha Pathirana has hit the identical depend however given away 26 runs. Each have claimed two wickets apiece from the supply.
Avesh showcased textbook demise bowling to defend 9 runs off the ultimate over in opposition to Rajasthan Royals.
Earlier this season, he’d been clobbered by Hardik Pandya for a six off a full toss with 22 wanted from the ultimate over. However he caught to his weapons, adopted up with near-perfect block-hole deliveries, and LSG conceded simply three runs off the final 5 balls to win by 12.
“I at all times suppose the yorker is my greatest ball,” Avesh stated after his match-winning spell. “I attempt to bowl it in any state of affairs. Within the IPL, it’s essential to again your self. I concentrate on execution, and as soon as I take the ball, I don’t get tense. No matter I determine to bowl, I decide to it totally.”
Crucially, yorkers have labored even on the demise — overs 16 to twenty — when batters are inclined to unleash. This 12 months, 15 wickets have fallen to yorkers on this part, already matching final 12 months’s tally. The economic system price has dipped from 8.15 to six.79, whereas dot-ball (38.3%) and boundary (9.47%) charges have additionally improved considerably.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar utilized a chokehold on Punjab Kings in New Chandigarh, conceding simply 28 runs within the last 4 overs. Andre Russell and Vaibhav Arora did one thing comparable in opposition to the identical opposition, making a gift of simply 27 within the final three overs. It could’ve been fewer had Vaibhav not dropped Shreyas Iyer off Russell.
What explains the resurgence? It’s exhausting to pin down, however reverse swing — probably aided by the discreet use of saliva — may be an element.
Pathirana has bowled 14 reverse-swinging yorkers this season — essentially the most by any bowler — yielding one wicket. Starc, surprisingly, has delivered solely three reverse-swinging yorkers thus far, regardless of his status.
Regardless of the cause, bowlers gained’t thoughts the assistance. In a event typically skewed in favour of batters — particularly because the introduction of the Impression Participant rule — the yorker’s comeback is a welcome leveller.
