The run-fests in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) are testaments that cricket has been reduced only to a batters' game and bowlers are on the verge of being outdated soon.
Even a 250-plus score looked achievable in IPL 2024 with batters dominating procedings and carting the hapless bowlers all round the park on a regular basis. Further with the impact player rule, the bowlers are regularly getting tormented.
The high-scoring games are no longer a rarity in the IPL. Several fans are of the view that they are getting bored to watch such high-scoring games on a regular basis. Many experts blamed shorter boundaries and the Impact player rule for this.
"The Impact Player rule should be abolished from the game. It is ruining the beauty of cricket. T20 cricket was fun earlier, but now it has become just a batter's game. Bowlers bowl well and dismiss the player but due to the new 'Impact Player' rule, the next batter comes with the freedom to slog," said a former India cricketer.
During the current IPL season, Punjab Kings have successfully chased the highest target in T20 cricket (262 against KKR). More than 250 runs have been made in this season on eight occasions. There were just two occasions before this season when the batting team had crossed the 250 mark. But it seems like a regularity now. Sunrisers Hyderabad, alone, have crossed the 250 mark thrice so far this season.
It was not only the Impact Player rule that is annoying cricket fans around the globe but the boundary size and flat pitches are other contributors as well.
"Bowlers win you the matches but unfortunately with the shorter boundaries and flat-track pitches, the margin of error is minimal. And because of these new changes in the boundary's size and batting-friendly pitches, bowlers have no say in the game," rued a fan.