Breaking away from the narrative in vogue, of the Impact Player tilting the game in the batters’ favour, Lucknow Super Giants assistant coach Lance Klusener attributed the high totals in this Indian Premier League (IPL) season to ineffective death bowling.
“I think just looking at the bowling performances throughout the competition has been disappointing. I haven’t seen a lot of good death bowling, and that is why the teams have been able to take advantage. Sure, the surfaces have been flat, haven’t seen a lot of swing either, but I think maybe the batters have evolved faster than the bowlers,” said Klusener after his side’s seven-wicket reverse to Rajasthan Royals on Saturday.
The economy rate in death overs (16-20) in this edition has rocketed to 12 runs per over, the highest ever. The next best over the last 10 seasons is 10.83 in 2022. Similarly, the batting strike rate in the same phase this year has jumped to 185.60 from just over 167 in the previous edition.
What has been hampering the bowlers in the crunch phase is overthinking, Klusener feels. “It is easy to overcomplicate. [Even] If you run in and execute four yorkers [it’s good], but we don’t see that skill anymore. We go to slower balls and a whole lot of other variations; so, I feel that pure death bowling, yorkers, whether wide or straight, that’s a skill that we don’t see very often these days,” Klusener said.
The team closest to having its affairs in order at death is Rajasthan. The Sanju Samson-led side boasts the best economy rate (9.27) in the period this season. The Royals also have the most economical PowerPlay figures, giving away runs at 8.03.
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The table topper put its PowerPlay exploits on display on Saturday again, leaving Lucknow two down for just 11 runs. Then, in the last five overs, its pace trio of Trent Boult, Sandeep Sharma, and Avesh Khan wrested the control back from K.L. Rahul and Deepak Hooda, conceding just 46 runs between overs 16 and 20 and restricting Lucknow to 197 for five.
“What Rajasthan have done well is they’ve picked wickets in the PowerPlay which then allows their spinners to bowl with a little bit of pressure even though the surfaces are good. It is as simple as that. They’ve done it consistently. We admire that and we try to do that. It is probably something we have not done so well,” Klusener said.
In reply, Lucknow conceded 60 runs in the PowerPlay for a gain of one wicket. It had Rajasthan cornered at three for 78, before letting the game slip away. The home team conceded the final 53 runs in four overs as Samson and Dhruv Jurel got past the finish line with six deliveries to spare.
The loss means a win for Chennai Super Kings against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday will displace Lucknow from the playoff spots.
On what needs fixing for its remaining fixtures, Klusener said: “We need to be a little more clinical. We’re doing a lot of good stuff but in patches… we cannot just bat well and not bowl well. The good thing is we’re in a position where we’re the master of our destiny. For now. If someone had told us in the beginning that three quarters of the way through the competition you can still decide your destiny, a lot of teams would take that.”