IPL 2025: Shardul Thakur calls for balance between bat and ball amid 200-plus totals

Lucknow Super Giants all-rounder Shardul Thakur has called for balance between bat and ball amid 200-plus totals in the ongoing Indian Premier League. In the second match of the tournament, SRH posted a gargantuan score of 286 runs on the board at Hyderabad, which is the second-highest in the IPL. 

Subsequently, Punjab Kings posted 243 runs against Gujarat Titans at Ahmedabad. With the impact player rule, better pitches, better bats, high-scoring matches have become a norm in the IPL.

However, Thakur made a request to the curators to keep bowlers in the game. Thakur, who replaced injured Mohsin Khan in the LSG squad, has scalped six wickets in two games at an economy rate of 8.83.

“All that the bowlers are asking is to prepare the pitch in such a manner that the game hangs in balance and it should not be just one-sided where batters are coming and smashing us, because all we want is a fair chance and fair opportunity in the game.

“A lot of them might not be outspoken or they might not get a chance to speak in front of media or give interviews about the pitch conditions,” Thakur said in a press conference on Sunday.

Thakur said it is crucial for the bowler to analyze his game and back his strengths according to the opposition and pitch conditions.

“I think it is all part of the preparation. The strength lies in how well you understand your own game and what is the best possible way that you can bowl on that particular day, looking at the pitch conditions, looking at the situation of the game and which batter is playing,” Thakur said.

Thakur doesn’t feel the impact player rule has contributed much to high-scoring matches but feels flat pitches play a big role.

“The Impact Player rule is an entertainment factor and games change a lot, but that these 250 scores are being made is not only because of this rule change, but also because of the way the pitches are being made. We are just saying as a bowling unit that give us a fair and square chance where we can get a batsman out,” Thakur said.

Lucknow Super Giants will lock horns against Punjab Kings at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow on Tuesday.