Ricky Ponting, Delhi Capitals coach, analyzed the evolution of T20 batting, highlighting the rise of aggressive tactics, high scores, and the increasing importance of strike rate.
Ricky Ponting, the head coach of the Delhi Capitals and a two-time World Cup winner with Australia, weighed in on the dramatic changes in T20 batting. He analysed the aggressive tactics and strategic shifts that are redefining the game.
The ongoing IPL 2024 season has been a festival of batting records, with high scores being chased down with ease. Ponting attributed this, in part, to the new “Impact Player” rule, which allows teams to introduce a substitute player during the match. This, he believes, grants batters more freedom to take risks.
“I never thought a team scoring 300 runs would be possible in T20 cricket. But looking at the current trends, it feels like it’s just a matter of time,” Ponting admitted in an interview with ESPNCricinfo.
The IPL this year has seen a staggering 29 instances of teams scoring over 200 runs. The season even witnessed the record for the highest IPL total being broken twice, first by Sunrisers Hyderabad and then by themselves again. Similarly, the Punjab Kings chased down a mammoth target of 262 runs against the Kolkata Knight Riders, breaking the record for the most successful chase in IPL history.
Ponting highlighted a key shift in mindset as batters are now looking to attack from the very first ball, abandoning the traditional approach of taking time to settle in. “There’s no easing into the innings anymore. It’s all about going out there and swinging from the first delivery,” Ponting explained.
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This aggressive approach has led to a greater emphasis on strike rate in T20 cricket. According to Ponting, the focus has shifted from a balance of average and strike rate to prioritising the latter for success in the modern game. “The strike rate is becoming increasingly important,” he stated.
Ponting also shared an anecdote about his former teammate, Matthew Hayden, who had foreseen the immense popularity of T20 cricket from its inception. Ponting himself, however, was initially sceptical about the format’s potential. “Matthew Hayden kept saying to me, ‘Mate, I am telling you, this is the future.’ And I am like, ‘No, it is not, mate,” Ponting confessed, surprised at the fiery propulsion of runs in T20 cricket.
Last Updated on May 3, 2024
