Within the wake of a record-breaking 2024 season, the place batters plundered runs at an unprecedented fee, the Indian Premier League (IPL) entered 2025 bracing for much more stratospheric requirements. An ultra-aggressive model of batting had change into the norm, and the race for the league’s first-ever 300-plus complete was effectively and actually on — it felt like solely a matter of time.
Expectedly, Sunrisers Hyderabad got here frighteningly near it within the second match of the season, ransacking 286 in a run-fest towards Rajasthan Royals. Nevertheless, 50 matches into the season, no staff has breached the 250-run mark since, and Sunrisers are languishing in direction of the underside of the standings.
There was a 6.34 per cent improve in scoring charges from 2023 to 2024, with the IPL ushering within the Affect Participant period. Nevertheless, that upward swing didn’t maintain, and the bowlers discovered a option to stay related.
On the face of it, the general run fee (9.41) within the ongoing season (after 50 matches) is only a shade decrease than final 12 months (9.56). Nonetheless, there appears to be a extra even handed steadiness between bat and ball in 2025, maybe as a result of the runs are extra evenly unfold out. Eight of the match’s 10 highest staff totals have been registered in 2024, whereas 2025 has a solitary entry on that record. The entire variety of sixes after 50 video games has dropped from 903 in 2024 to 833 in 2025; the fours have decreased from 1553 to 1522, and whereas the tally of 50-plus particular person scores is degree at 111, this season has witnessed simply 4 centuries after 50 video games, in comparison with 11 in 2024.
The distinction in run charges within the PowerPlay and center overs (7 to fifteen) between 2024 and 2025 is negligible, however the scoring fee within the demise overs (16 to twenty) has witnessed a steeper dip, falling from 11.55 to 10.69. If a decline of 0.86 runs per over doesn’t appear important, think about this. After 50 matches in 2024, groups had plundered 60 runs or extra within the final 5 overs on 38 events. In 2025, that quantity has plunged to only 15 within the corresponding interval.
Consequently, the variety of batters who excel throughout this important section of the innings has dwindled. In 2024, 13 batters had scored greater than 100 runs (minimal 50 balls confronted) within the final 5 overs, whereas 10 boasted of a strike fee in extra of 175. These numbers have dropped to eight and 5, respectively, this season. The likes of Heinrich Klaasen, Rishabh Pant and Andre Russell have failed to copy their ball-striking capability in 2025. Whereas the detached type of among the league’s most explosive batters hasn’t helped, the bowlers, aided by adjustments in enjoying circumstances, have additionally stepped up and recalibrated their plans.
Full and straight on the demise
With reverse-swing coming again into the scheme of issues, partially owing to the lifting of the ban on making use of saliva on the ball, the menace of the yorker has additionally returned. Whereas it was essentially the most potent weapon within the demise overs final season, costing 8.95 runs an over and producing a wicket nearly each 32 balls, its efficacy has drastically elevated. In 2025, between overs 16 and 20, the yorker has conceded simply 6.90 runs an over and averages a surprising 12.78 runs per wicket – the very best for any size throughout this section of the innings. Apparently, in 2024, the yorker had the worst common (31.69) amongst all the opposite lengths bowled throughout this section of the innings.
The bowlers have additionally executed the complete deliveries — thought-about straightforward pickings for batters — with higher accuracy and effectivity. The run fee towards full deliveries within the demise overs has dropped from 14.45 in 2024 to 10.90 in 2025, whereas the common runs conceded per wicket has additionally fallen from 24 to 17.5.
Gujarat Titans’ death-overs specialist batter Shahrukh Khan acknowledged the position of a drier ball and reverse-swing in stemming the movement of runs in direction of the again finish of the innings.
“The ball has been modified after 15 overs… Reverse-swing comes into play, and when the ball is dry, it’s not that straightforward for the batsmen to go after the bowlers. Loss of life [overs] batting has not been that straightforward. It’s essential be actually skilful to get the ball out of the rope. Within the earlier years, the ball received moist, and execution was loads more durable,” he mentioned.
Bowling fuller and straighter has additionally confirmed to be simpler this season. Deliveries in line of the stumps went at 10.60 runs an over on the demise in 2024, whereas in 2025 that quantity has dropped to 9.29. Straighter deliveries have additionally change into a greater wicket-taking preposition, with their common dropping from 22.73 runs per wicket in 2024 to fifteen.79 in 2025.
In a tailspin
The demise overs have additionally seen the resurgence of spinners in 2025. They’ve been extra ceaselessly employed within the final 5 overs this season, and their effectiveness has doubled. Their wickets tally in overs 16 to twenty has swelled from 21 in 2024 to 46 in 2025, and their capability to comprise has additionally elevated significantly, with their financial system fee dropping from 10.96 to eight.89 throughout this section of the innings.
The spinners have made their presence felt significantly within the sixteenth over, when the batters are setting the launchpad for a death-overs cost. At this vital juncture, the spinners have picked 18 wickets this season, in comparison with 9 final 12 months, at an financial system fee of 8.33 and a mean of 20.83.
Queering the pitch
In six of the 12 venues used up to now in IPL 2025, the run charges have dropped compared to final season. Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium and Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium have seen the sharpest decline, with run charges dropping from 11.20 to 9.49 and 9.84 to eight.90, respectively. In the meantime, amongst venues which have hosted at the least 4 matches this season, Ahmedabad is the one one which has seen a noticeable bounce in run fee — a rise of 0.83 runs an over.
The improved returns for spinners on historically batting-friendly surfaces have largely pushed this turnaround. In Delhi, the spinners have conceded eight runs an over on common, in comparison with 10.28 final season, whereas their common has improved from 29.68 to 23.53. Equally, in Bengaluru, the tweakers have an financial system fee of 8.22 this 12 months, in comparison with 8.98 in 2024, whereas their common has improved by greater than 10 runs per wicket, dropping to 32.42 from 42.66.
The opposite venues which have witnessed a marginal dip in total run charges are Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai (9.54 to 9.42), Kolkata’s Eden Gardens (10.47 to 9.81), M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai (8.52 to eight.37), and ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam (10.34 to 10.09).
Past the PowerPlay
The shortcoming of sure groups to adapt to circumstances has additionally led to stagnating run charges this season. A working example is Sunrisers Hyderabad, an outlier final season which turbocharged scoring charges with constant onslaughts within the PowerPlay. It struck at a whopping 11.17 within the first six overs in 2024, adopted by defending champion Kolkata Knight Riders (11.07) and Delhi Capitals (10.67). None of those groups have managed to copy that ball-striking capability this season, with KKR and DC unable to seek out the suitable mixture and the famed duo of Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head removed from their marauding finest.
SRH seamer Jaydev Unadkat attributed his facet’s falling shares to more durable pitches and acknowledged that bowlers and their plans are continually evolving.
“Final 12 months, we scored 200-plus in 4 or 5 [six] matches, and that gave us a way that we had set a regular. However that may’t at all times be the norm. Different groups and batters are planning higher now, and bowlers are additionally adapting and developing with new methods. Final 12 months, swing was sufficient to make an affect, however this 12 months, it’s about utilizing variations successfully. Additionally, the pitches are enjoying an enormous position. Final 12 months we had plenty of flat pitches, whereas this time we’ve had harder ones,” he mentioned.
Bowlers have used the pitch extra and relied on swing much less within the PowerPlay this 12 months. The variety of full deliveries has decreased by over 40 per cent in comparison with 2024, whereas the brief and back-of-a-length deliveries have elevated by 11.13 per cent and 37.14 per cent, respectively.
The PowerPlay run charges could have solely dipped marginally between 2024 and 2025, from 9.46 to 9.44, however the bowlers have managed to keep away from astronomical totals within the first six overs. 5 of the highest 10 PowerPlay scores in IPL historical past have been set in 2024, whereas solely two from 2025 have made it to that record up to now.
Bowlers within the ascendancy?
In IPL 2024, the match’s two most aggressive batting items — Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders — had reached the ultimate.
Regardless of IPL 2025 nearly matching final season’s scoring charges, the higher bowling assaults are dominating this 12 months. Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, essentially the most economical sides after 50 matches, are first and second, respectively, within the standings.
And that has been the great thing about this season: whereas the batters flirt with unscaled heights, the bowlers hold them grounded.