ANALYSIS
Follow Us*All numbers from overs 16 to 20 until Match 37 in IPL 2024 unless stated otherwise
Gujarat Titans
Economy: 9.9, Average: 18.8
Yorkers Executed: 4.8%, Preferred Length: Full length at 28.2%, Pace off: 29.5%
Gujarat have bowled 28.2% of their deliveries in the full-length region, but that is a result of Rashid Khan bowling for them. Mohit Sharma is their premier death overs bowler, pitching it short with pace off, and that is where Gujarat shines the most, picking seven wickets at an economy of only 8 from the short region.
The slow-ish pitch at their home venue in Ahmedabad is perfect for Mohit’s bowling. He has delivered 20 out of GT’s 39 short balls in this phase, mostly ranging between 110 and 120 kph. When bowling full, Mohit reduces the pace further to the 90 kph range.
Hence, they haven’t needed to bowl wider lines. In fact, the strike rates for the batters have increased the further away Gujarat have bowled.
Two overs for Mohit at the backend and one for Rashid are written in stone. The remaining two overs are based on their ever-changing bowling line-up owing to the conditions.
At 4.8%, GT have the lowest yorkers percentage. Well, you expect that from a team that Ashish Nehra coaches. If you know, you know.
Chennai Super Kings
Economy: 10.1, Average: 23.3
Yorkers Executed: 8.3%, Preferred Length: Good length at 28.5%, Pace off: 34.6%
CSK’s plans have been straightforward. Their bowlers don’t have the pace to bombard the batters with short or back-of-a-length deliveries. But they haven’t been as full as Lucknow. CSK have bombarded the good length area instead, bowling 28.5% of their deliveries there at a mind-boggling economy of only 5.1.
They have also bowled plenty of deliveries wide outside the off stump, hinting at a plan to slant the ball across the batters from the good length region. It is especially true for Mustafizur Rahman who has bowled 25 off CSK’s 55 good length deliveries at the death.
‘Fizz’ has bowled two overs at the death in five out of the six CSK matches he has played. Matheesha Pathirana, CSK’s X-factor with the ball, has been reserved for two overs in this phase. He is also the only CSK bowler to consistently hit the yorker length, bowling eight of them for only five runs.
However, Pathirana has played only four of CSK’s seven matches. Tushar Deshpande bowls the remaining overs. On occasions when either Fizz or Pathirana has been unavailable, CSK have relied on makeshift options.
Lucknow Super Giants
Economy: 10.2, Average: 21.5
Yorkers Executed: 5.5%, Preferred Length: Full length at 25.0%, Pace off: 36.7%
LSG have majorly bowled in the full and the good length region – 49.4% of their death over deliveries. No other side has used the full-length region (25%) as much as the KL Rahul-led side.
The sticky nature of their home venue at the Ekana Stadium has allowed them to be efficient from those lengths, conceding only 8.7 runs per over. As a result, the Lucknow bowlers haven’t had to follow the line wide outside the off stump line as much as some other sides. Instead, there is a cluster of deliveries bowled around the seventh/eighth stump line, bringing them a great deal of success. It is clear that the bowling-friendly nature of their home venue has justified their batting plans of going for the par score.
None of the specialist pacers have played all six games for LSG. Hence, they don’t have a fixed personnel for the death overs. Naveen Ul Haq and Yash Thakur have usually covered three overs between them in this phase. Ravi Bishnoi has also bowled an over for them in this phase in five out of seven matches.
Rajasthan Royals
Economy: 10.5, Average: 24.5
Yorkers Executed: 9.5%, Preferred Length: Full length at 25.7%, Pace off: 15.9%
Rajasthan Royals have done better than expected in this phase. Sandeep Sharma’s injury has kept them bereft of a designated death overs’ bowler. RR have assigned the duties to Avesh Khan, who has bowled two overs on average in the last five overs, maintaining an economy of 10.1, marginally lesser than RR’s economy at the death. Trent Boult had done well to concede only 21 runs in his three overs at the death, one each in the preceding three RR games.
RR have used most overs of spin at the death, which has also influenced their full-length bowling. Yuzvendra Chahal has bowled one death over in every game, going at an economy of 10.9 while picking four wickets. Ravichandran Ashwin, however, has gone at 12.5, picking only one wicket.
The short ball has worked the best for the pacers in terms of saving runs (6.5 economy).
Have they tried bowling wide? Yes. But their economy bowling wide of the crease (13.6) is much worse than the balls in line with the stumps (6.9).
Kolkata Knight Riders
Economy: 11, Average: 18.4
Yorkers Executed: 5.6%, Preferred Length: Good length at 27.8%, Pace off: 41%
KKR has the cleanest pitch map, pitching the ball in straighter lines—straight and good length. The good length has brought them the most wickets at an economy of only 8.3. Like CSK, they have also taken the ball away, persisting with wider lines.
With Mitchell Starc in the side, you would expect KKR’s yorker percentage to be higher but he has been their most expensive bowler at 13.7 runs per over. He has surprisingly bowled mostly in the half volley region, hinting that his radar has been off this year. The 22-year-old Harshit Rana has been their best death overs bowler, going at only 9.1 runs per over and has bowled 21 of KKR’s 50 deliveries in the good length area. Of late, he is the one KKR have trusted to bowl two overs in this phase.
Kolkata have also bowled a fair bit of spin here. Varun Chakaravarthy’s one spare over has been used at the death five times without much success.
Sunil Narine, meanwhile, has bowled only two overs at the death. This is a by-product of Kolkata playing mostly high-scoring games, forcing them to exhaust Narine in the middle overs itself.
Punjab Kings
Economy: 11.4, Average: 16.2
Yorkers Executed: 7%, Preferred Length: Good length at 22.3%, Pace off: 22.1%
Punjab’s pace quartet – Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Sam Curran – have collectively targeted the good length area while bowling on all sides of the wickets in equal proportion. The good length has gone at 9.9 RPO. And their execution of the wider line tactic has proved to be costly, with the batters scoring at a strike rate in excess of 200 in these zones. Nothing is threatening about Punjab’s death over bowling plans.
Their biggest conundrum has been the form of their designated death bowler, Harshal Patel. The right-armer has been reserved for bowling two overs in this phase but has proven to be their most expensive death bowler at 11.9 RPO. Arshdeep Singh has impressed with his yorkers in the past. However, he is the second most expensive seamer at 11.3 RPO. The majority of his death-over deliveries have landed in the half-volley region, hinting at missed yorkers. Sam Curran is their only seamer going at under 10 runs per over in these overs.
Punjab death overs quartet have been their only consistent feature this season, and they need Harshal and Arshdeep to step up in order to make it work.
Mumbai Indians
Economy: 12.2, Average: 21.2
Yorkers Executed: 17.2%, Preferred Length: Half volley at 18.5%, Pace off: 20.6%
Mumbai have bowled fuller — 55% deliveries in the half-volley, full and yorker length region. With Jasprit Bumrah in the side, the plan has been to bowl as many yorkers as possible. Bumrah has bowled 14 out of MI’s 31 yorkers here.
No other side has bowled as many yorkers, and MI has an economy of only 7.5. However, whenever they have erred, bowling half-volleys and full-tosses, the economy has soared to 12.5 and 13.5, respectively.
Considering the true nature of their home surface at Wankhede, the short ball is not much of an option, and Mumbai are willing to take the risk on yorkers. They have also bowled plenty of balls wider outside the off stump.
Bumrah and Gerald Coetzee have done well for Mumbai in this phase, going at an economy of only 6.9 and 9.8, respectively. While they bowl three overs between them during the death overs, the other two overs have proven costly. Akash Madhwal, in 4.1 overs here, has leaked 81 runs. Mumbai have tried Hardik Pandya and Romario Shepherd as makeshift options but without any impact. That is Mumbai’s quandary now, how to fill the gap between those two overs.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Economy: 12.2, Average: 40.9
Yorkers Executed: 9.9%, Preferred Length: Back of a length at 19.3%, Pace off: 19.7%
Mumbai and Bengaluru are in the same boat, given their high-scoring home conditions. Both teams have an identical economy in this phase, but Bengaluru’s average is nearly twice as bad as Mumbai’s.
RCB don’t have a bowler of Bumrah’s calibre and as a result, they have adopted the tactic to bowl short — 35.9% deliveries back of a length and short. They have also bowled wider of the crease along with bowling short, ending up bowling on all sides of the wicket without any consistency.
They have had different bowlers bowling two overs for them in this phase every game, suggesting the team isn’t sure of their bowling personnel. However, Mohammed Siraj has been their most economical bowler in these slog overs, going at an economy of only 9.4.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Economy: 12.6, Average: 42.1
Yorkers Executed: 10%, Preferred Length: Short length at 23.5%, Pace off: 25.7%
“When in doubt, bowl short” has been SRH’s motto with the ball. They have choked a few teams in the death overs by bowling cutters into the deck on tracks with any amount of sluggishness. However, overall, that length has still been carted at 10 RPO. Pat Cummins has bowled 15 balls short and 15 balls back of a length.
Also, SRH’s most preferred line has been wide outside the crease while conceding at a strike rate of 207.7.
Hyderabad batters have provided them the leeway, scoring three team totals in excess of 250. Hence, despite going for runs, SRH can stick with their plans.
Although they should be worried about Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s form in this phase, given that he has conceded at 15.9 RPO (0 wickets), the highest economy for any frontline Indian death overs seamer. But Natarajan’s recent return to form (4/19 vs Delhi) may persuade them to use only one over of Bhuvi in this phase.
But for SRH to keep chipping away with this high economy rate, their batters need to continue out-batting the opposition.
Delhi Capitals
Economy: 13, Average: 34.3
Yorkers Executed: 13.1%, Preferred Length: Full length at 23.5, Pace off: 23.7%
12.5 runs per over in 23.5% of deliveries bowled in the full length region — no other team has a higher economy in their major bowling zone than DC. Although, they have had Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel bowling a fair bit of overs here.
The pitch map confirms they have attempted yorkers - nearly 41% deliveries in the half volley, full and yorker length region, although the success rate is down to 13%. And batters have carted their wider line deliveries at a strike rate of 224.7.
Each of Delhi’s four frontline seamers has conceded at over 11.5 RPO at the death. Anrich Nortje has been the biggest disappointment, with the worst economy rate in this phase this year at 17 RPO. Yorkers have kept Mukesh Kumar’s economy down to 11.7, but he has also been hit and miss. The spinners, Kuldeep and Axar, have bowled seven death overs for only 56 runs.
But Delhi need the pacers to hit the mark more consistently. Like Mumbai, they have to be more frequent in nailing the yorkers.
