If you look at the previous seasons that have gone past, chasing was a thing that gave advantage to a team. After winning the toss, teams preferred chasing unless it was a dry wicket.
For teams, it was easy to know what they are chasing, what is on the board, so they can manufacture their whole innings and executed it according to the plan. However, the template has changed slightly.
In the last 10 matches of the Tata IPL 2023 teams that have batted first went on to win the match 8 times and only two times the changing side has won the game. So what is the reason behind it?
A big reason is the new impact player rule. Yes, the impact player rule comes handy with both batting first or bowling first scenario. Talking about thet teams batting first, they always find themselves in better position. First of all, batting first removes the pressure of runrate.
The nucleus for them is momentum so they go hard from the beginning because they know they have an extra batter playing. When it pays off, the team batting first finds itself way ahead in the game.
It is something that we have seen on consistent basis, when Chennai batted against Kolkata and in recently concluded match when Gujarat Titans batted first against Mumbai Indians.
It can be seen like this, a team feels confident to go past 200 runs mark and by any means, on any wicket, 200 is tough score to hunt down. The team batting first has momentum with it, the team that comes to chase will be in pressure of a big chase despite having an extra batter due to impact rule.
We have been seeing it throughout the tournament that impact players have been utilised better in the first innings. Once again, the case remains same that even though chasing side has an extra batter, the problem of runrate doesn’t solve out.
In a big chase, things can fall apart quickly so risk percentage is same with extra batter. And also, most of the times, teams that bat first choose an impact player after their batting innings has concluded. So, the impact player rule of extra batter is nullified by addition of extra bowler.
So the impact player rule hasn’t paid off yet for the chasing sides, the case is bat first or bat second you have to be at best of your game in a highly competitive league to win a match.