Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) all-rounder Shardul Thakur has urged the BCCI to do away with entertainment-focused elements like high-scoring pitches and the Impact Player rule in order to make sure even bat versus ball contests in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The ongoing IPL 2025 season has already witnessed 10 matches with scores going beyond 200 runs out of 12 complete games, highlighting the dominance of batters in the tournament.
Sunrisers Hyderabad nearly broke their own IPL record when they racked up 286/6 on the board in their opening fixture, falling just one run short of their highest team total set in last year’s IPL.
"It is not what I want, but it is what the bowlers want. A lot of them might not be outspoken or they might not get a chance to speak in front of media or give interviews about the pitch conditions. All that the bowlers are asking is to prepare the pitch in such a manner that the game hangs in balance and it should not be just one-sided where batters are coming and smashing us, because all we want is a fair chance and fair opportunity in the game," Thakur said on the eve of LSG’s first home game against Punjab Kings.
In IPL 2024, teams registered 41 totals exceeding 200 runs out of 74 matches, indicating a continuing trend of high-scoring affairs.
Thakur also addressed the Impact Player rule's influence on match outcomes, while stressing that batting-friendly tracks were the main reason behind high scores.
"We have already seen the rule change and the Impact Player rule coming in, so every team is potentially playing an extra batter, especially while chasing or even let's say you are batting first, then [everyone] is going in with that depth, because they have now an opportunity to change the batter and call a bowler while defending or vice versa," he explained.
"The Impact Player rule is an entertainment factor and games change a lot, but that these 250 scores are being made is not only because of this rule change, but also because of the way the pitches are being made. We are just saying as a bowling unit that give us a fair and square chance where we can get a batsman out."
Shardul Thakur, who failed to attract a bidder in the IPL 2025 mega auction, joined Lucknow Super Giants as a replacement for injured fast bowler Mohsin Khan. He has already picked up six wickets in his two appearances this season, including a four-wicket haul against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
