Bowlers Face New Challenges in Run-Fest Era
Arshdeep Singh, India’s leading T20I wicket-taker, made a bold statement after Punjab Kings’ narrow 11-run win over Gujarat Titans. Despite posting a mammoth 243, Punjab nearly lost as Gujarat stormed to 232 in reply. Arshdeep, who took key wickets of Sai Sudharsan and Sherfane Rutherford, claimed, “There are no par scores anymore in T20 cricket.”
He praised Impact Sub Vijaykumar Vyshak for nailing wide yorkers under pressure. “We planned to force them to hit off-side—it’s tougher there,” Arshdeep explained. “Vyshak practiced hard, and it paid off. Even if you miss, miss wide. A full-toss there is still hard to hit.”
Batters Dominate as Captains Adapt
Punjab skipper Shreyas Iyer electrified his debut with an unbeaten 97 off just 42 balls (strike rate 230.95), including 9 sixes. “Starting with 97* feels like icing on the cake,” Iyer said. “That six off Rabada shifted momentum. We knew dew would come, but Shashank’s 44*(16) sealed it.”
Arshdeep summed up the new T20 reality
Arshdeep summed up the new T20 reality: “Credit to batters—now 240 isn’t safe. Just score big and defend.” With bowlers scrambling for answers, IPL 2025 is proving every total is chaseable.