In Punjab Kings’ first match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 towards Gujarat Titans, Arshdeep Singh was entrusted with the ultimate over of the primary innings. The left-arm pacer ended up bowling an 11-ball over—the joint-longest in IPL historical past. Throughout that over, Arshdeep largely tried to go brief and huge to the left-handed Rahul Tewatia, which resulted in a number of wides; towards Rashid Khan, he switched to yorkers, each on the stumps and out of doors off.
Twenty-four matches into the season, the PBKS bowler has delivered essentially the most wides thus far—18, 4 greater than Mumbai Indians’ Shardul Thakur, who has 14. Of Shardul’s 14 wides, 13 have come whereas bowling huge outdoors off. In Arshdeep’s case, 11 of his 18 wides have come whereas working across the tramline outdoors off.
What usually exhibits up as poor execution is most of the time a calculated try to hold the ball away from the batter, with fashionable T20 batters favouring the leg aspect for his or her huge photographs. Even deliveries simply outdoors off stump are actually being whipped over the on-side with ease, because of the pure swing arc and excessive bat speeds.
In response, the bowlers have moved additional away from the stumps, forcing batters to fabricate photographs sq. of the wicket, notably within the level and sq. areas, the place energy is more durable to generate.
“If the batter is about and there’s an extended boundary on one aspect, you utilize that and hold the ball away from their energy. If the batter is new, you assault the stumps. Whenever you really feel the yorker is popping out nicely, you go for it. When the batter is about, you go huge. You simply must adapt earlier than the batter is aware of what’s coming,” Arshdeep defined after the win over Mumbai Indians on Thursday, after choosing three for 22, persevering with to again his huge line tactic.
That fixed adjustment, although, usually pushes bowlers nearer to the huge line, the place the margin for error is smaller.
One such choice is the huge yorker, aimed simply contained in the huge line outdoors off stump. It is likely one of the hardest deliveries to execute due to the precision required—most of the time, it finally ends up as a full toss or a slot ball. However when nailed, this can be very tough to place away.
“That’s in all probability one of many hardest balls to bowl,” Delhi Capitals pacer Lungi Ngidi mentioned. “You’ve obtained to land it on a yorker size, simply contained in the huge line – all the things needs to be excellent. In the event you land that ball, it’s an enormous benefit in an over.”
Since his IPL debut in 2019, Arshdeep has bowled 99 wide-line yorkers – joint second-most with Harshal Patel, with Avesh Khan main the checklist with 104.
Regardless of the danger, the tactic stays in style. Within the 2021 season, there was a greater than 46 per cent enhance in makes an attempt to bowl across the tramline, leading to 114 wides—an 87 per cent bounce from the earlier season’s 61.
The shift turned much more pronounced in 2022, when wides throughout the season rose from 521 to 861—bounce of 340 (65.26 per cent). Whereas a part of that enhance was as a result of addition of two groups—Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Tremendous Giants—and due to this fact extra matches, venue circumstances additionally performed a significant position.
That season was held throughout 4 venues in Maharashtra in the course of the league stage—the Wankhede Stadium, DY Patil Stadium, Brabourne Stadium, and MCA Worldwide Stadium. Smaller boundaries, flatter pitches, and heavy dew made execution considerably more durable for bowlers.
Since that spike, the rise from 2023 onwards has appeared extra gradual. The typical variety of wides per season, which stood at round 530 till 2021, has now risen to roughly 810. The continued 2026 season will not be included in that common, nevertheless it has already seen 289 wides in 24 matches and is projected to complete near 900 on the present charge of six wides per innings.
What modified in 2023?
That season launched the choice for groups to evaluate wides and no-balls. With know-how in play, the margin for error has lowered. As Ngidi identified: “The margins are very small. The evaluate system helps now as a result of earlier, you can bowl it appropriately and nonetheless get known as for a large.”
Forward of the 2025 season, one other tweak adopted—the introduction of the transferring huge guideline, the place the road shifts with the batter’s place. This has made adjudication clearer for umpires and gamers alike. It made an instantaneous influence final season because the wides bowled whereas trying the huge yorker dropped from 182 to 101.
For bowlers like Arshdeep, working across the huge tramline is a dangerous trade-off, the place the margin for error is minimal. However in a format the place batters dictate phrases, it’s a threat they’re keen to take. As a result of on the times it comes off, the huge yorker can arrange the sport for the bowling aspect.
Revealed on Apr 17, 2026