NEW DELHI : The balance between bat and ball in Twenty20 cricket came under scrutiny after a run-heavy ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, where power-hitting dominated and bowlers struggled throughout the tournament.
A total of 780 sixes were struck in the 20-team event, a 50.87% rise from the 517 hit in the 2024 edition held in West Indies and the United States. The 200-run mark was surpassed a record 14 times, with eventual champions India national cricket team posting three of the tournament’s four totals above 250.
Flat pitches across the two host nations and aggressive batting pushed the collective strike rate to 134, the highest in tournament history.
India underlined the trend when they powered to 255-5 against New Zealand national cricket team in the final in Ahmedabad.
Former England national cricket team captain Michael Vaughan said the spectacle came at the expense of balance in the contest.
“Fantastic striking … but let’s be honest this isn’t a fair balance between bat and ball,” Vaughan wrote on X.
New Zealand coach Rob Walter said the high-scoring matches reflected what many fans wanted to see.
“I guess it comes down to what you view as entertainment, really,” Walter told reporters. “It seems to be the trend around the world that runs are the thing that people want to see. Of course, I believe you still want to have an even contest.”
Interest in the tournament was also reflected in viewing figures. The semi-final between India national cricket team and England national cricket team in Mumbai set digital records, with Jay Shah saying the match reached a peak of 65.2 million concurrent viewers globally.
Walter acknowledged that bowlers faced increasing challenges as bats improved and players focused more on power-hitting.
“It is tough, the bats are very good,” he said. “The guys obviously practise hitting the ball far, and when the pitches give not much to the bowlers, it does make it very tough.”
“But ultimately, if that’s the way the game’s going then the onus is on the bowlers to develop their skills and develop them quickly.”
One bowler who continued to excel was India’s Jasprit Bumrah, who recorded the tournament’s best economy rate of 6.21 among players who bowled more than 100 balls.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav praised the paceman after his match-winning performance in the final.
“Bumrah is a once-in-a-generation bowler. I can call him a national treasure,” Yadav said. “He knows how it needs to be done. He is the best in the business.”
