With blistering starts, soaring sixes, and a No. 3 revolution, this season has turned up the heat—can it keep riding the wave?
IPL 2025 didn't quite sprint out of the blocks; for a while, it jogged. Through the first ten matches, the runs dried up, the fireworks fizzled, and fans wondered—where has the roar gone? But as April marched on, so did the march of the batters. Something clicked- or perhaps exploded. Batters are clearing the ropes like they've lost all respect for gravity, scoreboards are breaking a sweat, and fans are finally getting their money's worth under the night sky.
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After a slow patch, the last 14 matches have witnessed a mad dash. Run rates have soared to 9.73. That's not just a number—it's a statement. A promise that the IPL still belongs to those who dare to swing big and swing early.
Twelve 200-plus scores in just 14 games? That's no fluke. That's muscle, intent, and game awareness rolled into one. Compare that to only one double-century team total in the previous ten games; you know something's stirring.
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The overall run rate now stands at a sizzling 9.66—well ahead of last year's 9.27 at the same stage. Boundaries are pouring in. 94 more than last year, in fact. Sixes? Up by 38. If 2024 built the scaffolding for aggressive T20 batting, 2025 is painting the walls with fire.
It's no longer about settling in; it's about going full tilt from ball one. Once a zone of cautious strokes and tip-and-run singles, the Powerplay has now become a launchpad. The run rate in these first six overs has increased by over 8%. And get this: 35 more sixes have been hit in the Powerplays compared to 2024.
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The middle overs have seen a slight bump, while the death overs have surprisingly decreased. Perhaps that's the new T20 blueprint: make the most at the top and save the tail-end theatrics for another day.
Forget the openers for a moment. The real show this year is at No. 3.
The old cliché used to say, "If your No. 3 walks in early, you're in trouble." In 2025, that position has become a golden ticket. Nicholas Pooran and Shreyas Iyer are leading the charge like knights on turbo-charged stallions. With a strike rate of nearly 170 and an average above 40? That's not just good, that's genre-defining.
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They've scored 500 more runs than their No. 3 counterparts last year. And they're not alone. Jos Buttler, Rahane, Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Riyan Parag, and Karun Nair have all contributed with impressive cameos and substantial half-centuries.
Four of them have faced over 75 deliveries and are scoring at more than 200! That's top-gear stuff from the middle of the engine room.
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The story doesn't stop at strike rates and averages; there's been a shift in philosophy, a changing of the guard. Last year, the top ten strike-rate leaders were lower-order pinch-hitters, but this year, eight of the ten are in the top three.
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That tells you everything you need to know: the top order has taken the reins. They're charging through field placements, ignoring reputations, and flipping the script. Teams aren't building innings anymore—they're blitzing from the front.
Not everyone is enjoying the party, though. Chennai Super Kings, the five-time champions, seem off their game. Their run rate and bowling economy have both taken a hit—over 10% decline in both metrics.
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Lucknow's bowlers haven't exactly distinguished themselves either, but Pooran and Marsh have kept their campaign afloat with the bat. Punjab? They've turned a corner with powerful batting, even as the bowling lets a few slips through.
And in the midst of it all, one sees the dramatic contrast between two familiar lefties. Pooran is soaring—his strike rate is now 215, up from 161 last year. Rishabh Pant, on the other hand, has fallen off a cliff—from 158 to just 80. Same league, different stories.
