Setting up the game with the new ball first up has been a common motif in the IPL throughout the years, and 2025 has been no exception. The winning teams in the 11 IPL games thus far have scored 11.16 runs per over in the powerplay while losing 10 wickets at an average of 73.7. In contrast, the losing teams have scored 9.21 runs per over while losing 22 wickets at a 27.63 average.
The Chennai Super Kings have had the hardest time starting out of any team. Over their first three games, the five-time champions scored a meager 7.44 in the powerplay, easily the lowest of the ten clubs and significantly lower than the competition average of 10.18. To put it more clearly, the first 11 games’ average powerplay score was 61. It has been 45 for CSK.
Their troubles defending the short-balls first up have been the main cause of their inefficiency. In RCB’s unusual victory at Chepauk, Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar put them to the test. On Sunday, Jofra Archer and Tushar Deshpande did the same, holding them to 16/1 in the first four overs and then to 42/1 after six, after which the asking rate surpassed 10 runs per over. During the phase, RR Quicks bowled 20 short balls and gave up 25 runs, including Rachin Ravindra’s wicket. Including the two fours and a six, six of the seven pull shots that were attempted off these deliveries were false strokes.
Except for Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway, the current CSK hitters have struggled against short balls in the opening six overs since the IPL 2023 began. Ravindra’s recent run has helped to distinguish this productive opening duo. The current CSK hitters collectively have a strike-rate of 121.90 against short balls in the phase over all T20s since 2023, which is comfortably the lowest of all the IPL 2025 sides and far lower than the period’s average of 145.74.
CSK batters vs short-balls in Overs 1-6 in the IPL since 2023
| Player | Runs | Balls | Dismissals | Ave | SR | Dot% | Bnd% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruturaj Gaikwad | 225 | 146 | 2 | 112.5 | 154.1 | 33.5 | 22.6 |
| Devon Conway | 106 | 66 | 1 | 106 | 160.6 | 32.3 | 27.27 |
| Rahul Tripathi | 82 | 65 | 7 | 11.71 | 126.15 | 44.6 | 20 |
| Rachin Ravindra | 66 | 55 | 4 | 16.5 | 120 | 45.6 | 16.36 |
| Deepak Hooda | 35 | 31 | 3 | 11.66 | 112.9 | 33.3 | 12.9 |
| Sam Curran | 29 | 28 | 0 | NA | 103.57 | 33.3 | 10.71 |
*min. 25 balls
Batting vs short-balls in Overs 1-6 in T20s since 2023 (grouped by IPL 2025 squads)
| Squad | Ave | SR | Dot% | Bnd% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RR | 34.33 | 172.74 | 38.2 | 30.18 |
| SRH | 37.2 | 169.6 | 37.7 | 29.93 |
| PBKS | 35.5 | 151.78 | 43.3 | 25.89 |
| MI | 27.63 | 149.94 | 40.9 | 23.03 |
| DC | 34.7 | 146.82 | 42.5 | 24.25 |
| RCB | 31.52 | 145.32 | 38.5 | 22.4 |
| KKR | 27.69 | 144.14 | 41.8 | 22.49 |
| LSG | 31.35 | 133.63 | 41.6 | 20.7 |
| GT | 61.6 | 132.94 | 38.5 | 20 |
| CSK | 30.6 | 121.9 | 38.9 | 17.63 |
Together, Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar hit 15 short balls in the opening six overs at Chepauk, returning 3/10. A bouncer from Deepak Chahar undid Rahul Tripathi, the only batter to be removed during the period in their victory over the Mumbai Indians. Mitchell Starc, who also successfully transitioned from his typical full swinging deliveries to short-pitched ones earlier in the day, is the leader of the next new-ball offensive that CSK will face.
RR used the ball in a number of clever ways on Sunday besides the new-ball blast. Riyan Parag chose Maheesh Theekshana in the 18th over, and the former CSK spinner reacted by giving up just six runs, even though Archer was economical in his three overs and typically a designated death-overs specialist in white-ball cricket. Since 2020, the two batters at the crease at that moment, who have been the main players in many exciting IPL finishes, have been hitting at a rate lower than run-a-ball against spin.
