Who will secure a spot in the playoffs? Which teams have the best chances of winning? Is it possible that No. 7 will retire? Let’s set aside these frequently asked questions and instead focus on something relevant to IPL 2025: could a team possibly achieve a score of 300 for the first time?
Although it may appear to be clickbait, the relevance of this information cannot be ignored, especially after the repeated shattering of batting records in IPL 2024. Prior to the previous season, a record for the highest total in IPL had been held since 2013. However, in 2024 alone, that record was surpassed four times. In fact, out of the seventeen seasons of IPL so far, there have been a total of ten scores higher than 250; and interestingly enough, eight of those occurred just last year. The new highest point was set by Sunrisers Hyderabad with their score of 287 for 3 against Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, known as Travishek, showed their prowess by easily achieving a target of 166 runs in just 58 balls – or 9.4 overs – against Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL 2024. These impressive batting performances were not a one-time occurrence, as there was a noteworthy improvement in various batting statistics throughout the season.
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The 300-peak has been reached in T20 cricket on multiple occasions. It has been achieved three times in men’s cricket and five times in women’s cricket. However, it has yet to be accomplished in a high-profile match between teams of a certain caliber. Last year, India came close to reaching 300 against Bangladesh, falling just three runs short. The Sunrisers also came close twice during last IPL season.
Who will be the one to surpass the 300-barrier this season and what steps must they take to achieve it?
Nathan Leamon, the lead analyst for England’s three highest totals in men’s ODIs, is confident that a score of 300 is achievable. He has observed the evolution of the IPL from a distance and has been working as a strategy consultant for defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders since 2021.
In 2023, the introduction of the Impact Player rule by the IPL sparked a surge in batting performance and achieved record-breaking scores. Similarly to a powerful performance booster, this rule provides teams with additional batting options, resulting in batters taking a more aggressive approach and placing less value on their wicket. According to Leamon, this rule has also influenced franchises to target more dynamic batters during the mega auction for the 2025-27 cycle.
According to the data, there has been a significant increase in aggressive batting from 2023 to 2024. Last season, the powerplay saw a rise of 2.49% in first-innings run rate. The middle overs (7-16) experienced the largest jump at 5.77%, while the death overs (17-20) saw a 3.62% increase. When comparing the seasons before and after the introduction of the Impact Player rule (2022 and 2024), there is a striking surge of 10.8% in overall first-innings run rates.
The path to 300.
According to Leamon, achieving a score of 300 is essential for any team in the IPL. He firmly believes that had SRH batted first against LSG and approached the innings the way Head and Abhishek did during their chase, surpassing 300 runs would have been possible last season. Therefore, should teams focus on reaching specific targets during the powerplay and middle overs in order to maximize their overall score?
The unexplored excess.
In IPL 2024, there were four overs with a run rate below eight in a single innings: overs 1, 7, 8, and 13. Leamon acknowledges this and notes that the first (6.95) and seventh (7.71) overs had low run rates for varying reasons.
Which team has the ability to reach a score of 300? And in what location?
According to Hesson, the location of RCB’s home ground may result in high scoring matches, with the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru being particularly challenging for bowlers due to its short boundaries. This was proven when Chris Gayle scored 175 not out and RCB achieved the first 250-plus total (263) in T20 cricket in 2013. Furthermore, it was at this same venue that SRH set a record score of 287.
