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IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal has brushed aside the criticism of the pitches being too flat in IPL 2026. He said that the game was perfectly balanced as it was.
Since the last few years, the IPL has been seeing higher and higher totals posted more frequently. High totals, specifically 200+, are also being chased down with more speed and a higher frequency.
This trend has seen criticism from various quarters, saying that the pitches have become too batter-friendly and so have the rules. Apart from the batting-friendly pitches, the Impact Player rule has also come under fire for letting teams play an extra batter in increasingly batting-friendly conditions.
"I think it is perfectly balanced" - Arun Dhumal
In an interview with RevSportz, Dhumal said that there was no need to revisit the balance between bat and ball in the IPL despite the prevalence of big totals and the higher prevalence of those totals being chased down.
"No, I think it is perfectly balanced. We have had a few high-scoring games where big totals were chased. But if a team posts a huge score batting first, it does not mean the opposition cannot chase it down," he said.
Dhumal went on to cite the example of the famous Johannesburg ODI of 2006 when South Africa had successfully chased down 434 against Australia.
"If you recall, there was a game between Australia and South Africa several years ago where more than 400 runs were chased. So, it has nothing to do with our rules. The two competing teams are there to win and will give everything to do so," he added.
We have seen low scores as well- IPL chairman Arun Dhumal
On occasion, some teams have managed to be bundled out for low scores as well, like the Delhi Capitals, who were infamously packed up for just 75 by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Since that game, low-scoring has become a trend for DC. Dhumal took their example to show that not all totals were as high as this year's IPL.
"We have also had low-scoring games. Delhi Capitals, for instance, collapsed on a very good batting wicket in Delhi in one of the matches. So, a lot depends on the application of the bowling unit," he said.
I don't go by all these narratives- Arun Dhumal
Arun Dhumal went on to say that good bowlers have emerged despite the pitches being flat. He also said that cricket is a game of execution, and hence narratives of pitches being flat should not be read into.
"We have seen some exceptional talent emerge. Prince Yadav has done exceptionally well. There are bowlers like Bhuvneshwar Kumar who have bowled brilliantly. They need to maintain the right line and length. Sometimes it also comes down to execution. Cricket is all about execution and application. I don’t go by these narratives," he said.
Dhumal concluded by saying that it was the players who needed to raise their standards rather than buy into any external narratives.
"If you are a good all-rounder, no team can drop you. Can you afford to leave out someone like Ravindra Jadeja? So, players have to raise their standards as bowlers, batsmen and all-rounders," he concluded.
Also Read: IPL teams unhappy with Impact Player rule? Arun Dhumal makes huge revelation on possible scrapping
