Achi news desk-
3 days agoAuthor: Ashwin Solanki
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In the first 37 years of ODI cricket, a score of more than 350 was made 31 times. In the last 17 years, a score of 350 and over has been scored 145 times, 4.6 times more than this. This became possible because the Indian Premier League (IPL) started 17 years ago in 2008. This league increased the scoring rate of the batsmen rapidly.
It was only after IPL that the first double century was scored in Men’s ODI, whose figure has now reached 12. T-20 teams increased from 16 to 103. At the same time, the test format became interesting, teams started focus on results rather than draw, because the results come in 80% of the games.
Today in Part-3 of IPL 2024 series, we will know the impact of IPL on ODI, Test and T-20 formats. We will see this in 4 parts, firstly the number of games, secondly the scoring rate, thirdly the batsmen and fourthly the effect on the bowlers.
1. Impact of IPL on T-20 format
Part-1: Games of the year increased from 33 to 280
T20 International started on 17 February 2005, New Zealand and Australia played the first match. After 2 years, the World Cup was played in this format, which was won by India under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The next year, the first cricket franchise tournament in India, the Indian Premier League (IPL) started. And it changed the definition of cricket.
Until 2010, 17 countries played T-20 International in 6 years. There was an average of 33 games in a year and teams only played 12 games on average in 6 years. In the next 6 years, the average number of matches per year increased to 63 and the number of teams increased to 21. But the real change happened from 2017. Since then the teams playing T-20 have increased 5 times to 103. The average number of games per year has also reached 280.
Many small countries of the world like Nepal, Mongolia, Jersey started playing cricket with T-20 format. Cricket is becoming a global sport with this format and now it is also included in Olympics 2028. T20 World Cup 2024 will also be hosted by a country like America along with West Indies. Where sports such as rugby, basketball and baseball dominate.
Part-2: It was easy to chase down targets of 200+ runs
IPL also increased the scoring rate of T-20 cricket. Until 2010, 200+ was scored 19 times and only twice did teams chasing the 200+ target win. In the last 7 years, 200+ scores have been made 243 times . Not only this, more than 200 runs were scored in the second innings 42 times, with the team winning 59% of the games.
There was a time when scoring 300 runs in 50 over cricket was a big deal, but now the mark of 300 runs has been crossed in just 20 overs. In the 2023 Asian Games, Nepal created a world record by scoring 314 runs against Mongolia. Such a score is difficult to score even in ODI and Test formats.
Part-3: 19 centuries scored in first 12 years, 124 scored in last 7 years
In the 12 years between 2005 and 2016, 19 international centuries were scored in the T-20 format. At that time, scoring a century was also a big thing, but in the last 7 years, 124 centuries have been scored in this format. Glenn Maxwell and Rohit Sharma have 5 centuries each, while India’s number-1 T-20 batsman Suryakumar Yadav has scored 4 centuries in the last 3 years.
Brendon McCullum played an innings of 158 runs for Kolkata in the very first match of IPL. Which immediately laid the foundation for playing a big innings in cricket. Since then, in T-20 International, individual scores of more than 150 runs have been made three times and more than 125 runs have been made 17 times. Australia’s Aaron Finch also holds the world record for playing an innings of 172 runs.
Part-4: Bowlers started getting more wickets
The economy rate of bowlers in T-20 cricket remains between 7 and 7.5. But every six years the average wicket figures of bowlers increased. Until 2010, a bowler averaged 4 wickets. In the last 7 years, the average wicket figure of a player has reached 7. In which spin and pace bowlers average 9 wickets each.
2. Impact of IPL on ODI format
Part-1: The pace of ODI matches has come to an end
ODI cricket started on 5 January 1971, the first World Cup was played in 1975. From then until 1988, only 11 teams entered this format. There was an average of 30 games in a year. By the time of the IPL, the teams had doubled to 23. By 2006, the average annual matches also increased by 257% to 107.
From 2008 until now, only 4 teams have been able to progress in this format. On an average, 127 ODIs are played in a year but in the last 18 years, the average number of matches played by a team is only 84. That means IPL has worked to make the ODI format stable. ICC is also not focusing on increasing more teams and matches in this format.
Part-2: The scoring rate increased rapidly
IPL definitely increased the scoring rate of ODI format very quickly. Up to 2007, in the first 37 years, scores of more than 300 were scored 279 times; he averaged 10 games for a score of 300 plus. But in just 17 years of IPL, 300 plus scores have been scored 614 times, 2.2 times more. Now 300 runs are scored in every third match.
Scored 400+ 5 times till 2007, at that time it was very difficult to score 400 runs. But in the last 17 years, a score of more than 400 has been made 22 times. Not only this, the English team had also come close to scoring 500 runs in 50 overs. The team had scored 498 runs against the Netherlands in 2022. The team has also scored 481 runs against Australia.
Even with runs, teams reach the target of more than 300. In the last 18 years, more than 300 runs were scored in the second innings 162 times, and the team won 57% of these times. The run rate has also increased from 4.69 to 5.20. Whereas in the previous 37 years, teams had won chasing a target of more than 300 just 19 times.
Part-3: 12 double centuries have been scored in 14 years
Before IPL, scoring 150 runs in 50 over cricket was a big thing. Saeed Anwar’s Pakistan record of 194 runs could not be broken for 12 years. Then came IPL in 2008 and Sachin Tendulkar scored his first double century in ODI cricket just after 2 years.
After Sachin, double century became a common thing. In the last 14 years, double centuries have been scored 12 times, and Rohit Sharma alone has scored 3 of them. He has the highest score in an ODI innings to his name, he played an innings of 264 runs against Sri Lanka in 2014.
After IPL, the strike rate of the players also reached from 71 to 82. Players started hitting more sixes, in the last 18 years on average every batsman has hit 10 sixes. Until 2006 this figure was only 7.
Part-4: The bowlers were beaten, but there was not much fall in the wickets.
The IPL did not diminish the bowlers’ ability to take wickets. In the 18 years before 2008, fast bowlers averaged 26 wickets and spinners averaged 17 wickets. In the last 18 years, this figure has fallen by just one wicket. However, the economy rate of bowlers definitely increased from 4 to 5.10. That means that more runs have started to be scored against the bowlers.
3. Impact of IPL on Test format
Part-1: 12 teams started playing tests of 7
The first international cricket match was played between Canada and America in 1844. 33 years later, the Test format began in 1877. Starting with Australia and England, by 1990 the number of Test playing nations had increased to 7. By 2007, the this figure to 11.
Before IPL, a team used to play an average of 63 matches in 17 years and around 41 tests were played in a year. After 2008, the team definitely grew in 17 years but the average number of games became 57. If the teams increased then the number of games per year should have increased but it came down to 40.
The top 3 countries, England, Australia and India together play 25 Tests every year, the other 9 teams can only play 15 Tests. That means, if the top 3 countries are not Test oriented, then this format may end in a few years.
Part-2: After IPL, more tests started ending in 2 days
In the 34 years between 1974 and 2007, 1128 tests were held, 35% of which were draws and 65% ie 741 results were obtained. During this period only 2 tests were completed in 2 days. After IPL, 6 tests have ended in 2 days.
Because of league cricket like IPL, batsmen want to score runs quickly. In this situation, teams lose wickets quickly, and because of that the results of the 5-day test also come quickly. This is the reason that 80% of the games of the longest format in the last 17 years have had results. Only 133 out of 679 tests were taken.
Part-3: On an average, 2 centuries started to be scored in a test.
Till 2007, 5 centuries were scored in every 3 tests but after IPL, on average 6 centuries started to be scored in every 3 tests. That means an average of 2 centuries in a test. This happened because batsmen were now reaching milestones faster by playing faster. They have started to rely on attack more than defence.
10 triple centuries were scored in the last 17 years, while before the start of IPL, 9 triple centuries were scored in the 17 years. In the gap of 17 years, the number of double centuries also increased from 119 to 134, meaning that even if only slightly, batting pace in Test cricket also started to increase.
However, despite IPL and T-20, no player has managed to break Brian Lara’s record of scoring 400 runs in an innings. Lara played this innings against England in 2004. The highest individual score since IPL also reached just 335 runs.
Part-4: It became a bit difficult for the spinners to take wickets
It increased the batsmen’s run scoring pace but had little effect on the fast bowlers. During the 17-year gap, each bowler took an average of 26 wickets, reaching 25 after IPL. Fast bowlers started taking an average of 35 wickets instead of 34. Although the spinners got an average of 21 wickets instead of 23, it became a bit difficult for them to take wickets.
T-20, ODI and Test increased steadily
If we look at all the three formats, after IPL only T-20 format is growing fast. ODI and Test formats have got stability. The number of matches in both formats is decreasing rather than increasing. Teams are also joining at a very slow pace, if they are increasing then the number of games they are playing is not increasing.
12 to 14 franchise leagues like IPL have started in almost every country. Because of which T-20 cricket and especially league cricket is getting a boost. This has not caused much harm to international cricket so far, but if the players’ focus on league and money increases, then the quality of international cricket will definitely be affected.
Graphics: Kunal Sharma & Ankit Pathak
