A lull in scoring rates that lasted for approximately ten games this season has been broken, and the bat is once again overwhelming the ball in the Indian Premier League 2025. In the most recent fourteen matches, the average run rate has increased to 9.73, with twelve totals that are greater than 200. In the ten games that came before, the rate had decreased to 9.00, with only one total that was greater than 200.
The aggregate tournament run rate for the Indian Premier League 2025 has increased to 9.66, which is significantly higher than the 9.27 score that was achieved in 2024 after 29 games. Compared to the same point in time the previous year, the overall boundary count of fours and sixes is 94 higher, the number of sixes has increased by 38, and the number of totals that are greater than 200 is almost twice as high.
The top-order batting, and consequently the powerplays, are where the majority of the differential lies. Since the beginning of the powerplay, the run rate has increased by more than 8%, whereas it was approximately 5% throughout the middle overs and approximately 4% overall. The run rate for death overs has decreased somewhat, going from 11.57 the previous year to 11.38 this year. Over the course of the powerplays this year, there have been 35 more sixes hit than there were at the same point in time in 2024.
The No. 3 batters have had a fantastic season so far, with Nicholas Pooran and Shreyas Iyer leading the charge. They have collectively gone at a strike rate of almost 170, and they have averaged more than 40. This has been a fantastic season for the No. 3 batters.
At the same point in the season, the No. 3s were significantly more subdued than they were the previous year, scoring 500 fewer runs, with a strike rate of 143 and an average of under 26. As a result of their contributions, they have contributed about one fifth of the total bat runs this season, which is a huge rise from the previous year. In addition to Pooran and Iyer, Jos Buttler and Ajinkya Rahane have scored more than 200 runs at strike rates of more than 150, and Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Riyan Parag have scored more than 100 runs at strike rates of more than 200. While playing against Mumbai Indians, Karun Nair achieved a remarkable score of 89 off of forty balls, making him the most recent player to join the list of successful No. 3s this season.
In terms of average and strike rate, No. 3s have been performing far better than openers so far this season (average 32.54, strike rate 155.58) Though openers have also performed better than they did the previous year (average 32.37, strike rate 146.06), No. 3s have been performing significantly better than openers.
An opportunity for batters in the top order
Due to the fact that the top order has been such a dominant narrative this year, it should not come as a surprise that they also dominate the list of the top ten strike rates. Even with a cut-off as low as 30 balls, eight of the top 10 strikers this season are batters at Nos. 1-3. The only two exceptions to this rule are Tim David and Naman Dhir, however even Dhir batted at No. 3 once, scoring 46 off of 24 balls.
Abhishek Sharma and Narine were the only two batters out of the top 10 that played in the top three during the previous season. This is in contrast to the situation that existed during the previous season.
Priyansh Arya, Pooran, Iyer, and Abhishek are the four batters in the top three who have faced 75 or more pitches and scored at a strike rate of more than 200 since the beginning of the year 2025 respectively. Abhishek was the only hitter in the top three to accomplish this accomplishment after 29 games throughout the course of the previous year.
The report card for the team
When compared to the previous year, the Chennai Super Kings have experienced a season that they will never forget, as both their run rate and their economy rate have decreased by more than ten percent. The Lucknow Super Kings have experienced a significant decline in their bowling numbers; however, the inclusion of Pooran and Mitchell Marsh has allowed them to make up for this gap in their batting performance. In a same vein, Punjab Kings have made significant strides in terms of their batting performance, which has helped them compensate for their lower bowling figures.
A comparison of the Pooran and the Pant
Compared to the year 2024, the two left-handed batters from LSG have experienced seasons that are extremely different from one another: Pooran’s strike rate has increased from 161 to 215, which is already considered to be healthy, while Pant’s strike rate has decreased from 158 to 80. When compared to the same time period in the Indian Premier League 2024, they are among the top two batters with the greatest increase and decrease in strike rate. This is because each season has a cut-off of fifty balls.