There was a time when a 200-run total in the IPL was considered a big score. Now, teams are occasionally surpassing 240. In just the second match of IPL 2025, Sunrisers Hyderabad posted a massive 286, while Rajasthan Royals came close with 242 in the chase.
Between 2008 and 2023, the league saw only two 250+ totals—RCB’s 263 in 2013 and LSG’s 257 in 2023. However, since 2024, there have already been nine 250+ such scores, and the 2025 season has only just begun.
Previously, batters had to put in effort to hit boundaries and sixes, but now bowlers struggle just to bowl dot balls. In IPL 2025, Rajasthan Royals’ Jofra Archer conceded 76 runs in his four-over spell against SRH and managed to bowl just one dot ball.
With no assistance from the pitches for bowlers and shrinking ground dimensions designed to maximize six-hitting, the IPL continues to prioritize entertainment over balance between bat and ball.
Recently, Gujarat Titans’ speedster Kagiso Rabada expressed his concerns about this in an interview. According to Rabada, cricket feels boring when it’s only about high scores. The real thrill lies in a balanced contest between both departments. “You might as well call our sport batting and not cricket if there isn’t balance between bat and ball,” said the South African pacer.
Not just Rabada, but some fans on social media are also calling the IPL boring due to its batting-dominated nature. One Twitter user posted, “210+ runs on a daily basis, even 240 isn’t a safe target, nothing for bowlers on these pitches. Sorry, this isn’t my favorite tournament anymore.”
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The IPL’s Impact Player rule is further fueling high-scoring matches. Teams are now playing with an extra batter, making life even more difficult for bowlers. The BCCI introduced this rule in IPL 2023, and the league will continue under this format at least until IPL 2027, after which the Indian board will review it.
