The IPL has grown in stature over the years, undoubtedly. However, one can’t help but feel the presence of monotony in the cash-rich league right now. Though two new teams were added in the latest edition, the T-20 league could be better off with some tweaks here and there. Well, these are strictly personal views and cannot be termed entirely correct, so no offence should be taken for the arguments put forward. Therefore let us get started with some measures that could help the league to overcome the challenges that are bound to pile up in the absence of an overhaul for over 5 years.
The Break Up Of Powerplay Overs
This is very significant to a format that is getting increasingly repetitive. Unlike in the ODIs, the shortest format of the game has a rigidity regarding powerplay overs. Presently, In T-20s, there are mandatory six overs of fielding restrictions, only two can be outside the 30-yard circle, which are thrust upon the batting team. Instead of imposing powerplays on the batting team, the overs should ideally be bifurcated into two by making either 3 or 4 overs mandatory at the start with the remaining 3 or 2 to be left at the discretion of the batting team in the IPL.
In fact, the Big Bash League of Australia had introduced the system of powerplay dissection in 2020-21, wherein the 6 overs were divided into 4 in the beginning and 2 as per the choice of the batting team anytime before the end of the innings. Also, if the idea succeeds then ICC could be tempted to bring in the powerplay rules in international games as well.
Two Bouncers Per Over Should Be Allowed
It might sound cliché but the game is getting heavily skewed in favour of the batsmen. Many ex-cricketers have expressed their concerns over the imbalance and have warned that after some time a good bowler would become a part of an extinct community in cricket, especially in the T-20 format. As is evident, the slam-bang version offers no room for restraint as batters have the license to kill at the outset itself and this aspect could easily reduce bowlers to mere spectators, particularly if the boundary lines are too short on certain grounds.
To attain a semblance of parity in an unfair scenario, the rule regarding bouncer per over should be changed to increase the number of deliveries going over the head to two instead of one at the moment. For a good bowler, there is nothing like a bouncer to soften a batsman especially if the latter is going hammer and tongs. And an option of an extra bouncer can be used to good effect to keep the aggression of the batters in check.
Retention Policy Has To Be Short-term
Right now, a franchise can retain a player as long as there is mutual consent involved. This has presented a situation where some marquee players have remained within the fold of one franchise. So, this unlimited term of retention policy needs to be curtailed and the maximum term to keep a player needs to be capped. This might sound preposterous at the outset and a lot would be baying for my blood but my question is simple, why can’t we see MS Dhoni or Virat Kohli with teams other than CSK and RCB.
From the start of the T-20 league itself, Dhoni has been with the Chennai franchise CSK and he has remained with the team even when he has reached the end of his career. In such a scenario, don’t you think Dhoni, or for that matter, anyone else, joining a new team would have added more intrigue and acted as a catalyst to the change of fortunes of the new outfit. Again, this is strictly a personal opinion so please stop swearing at me, the “yellow brigade”.
Permit One Extra Over For The Best Bowler In The Squad
In IPL, over the years, the batters have been following a similar pattern of playing percentage cricket with experienced or established bowlers in the mix and being harsh on new or rookie bowlers. This has sometimes reduced matches to a one-dimensional play as the happenings look not only repetitive but very boring as well. So, giving an extra over to top-notch bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah or Trent Boult can help the captain to marshal his bowling resources really well and use the extra over from his best bowler to surprise or shock the batsman who has been relying on the weak link in the bowling attack. This would go a long way in making the game of cricket less batsmen-friendly as well.
