CricAction: May 2016

Tuesday, 31 May 2016

Alastair Cook still 'hungry' to set new benchmarks

Cook reached 10,000 runs during the second Test against Sri Lanka and became the 12th batsman to do so © Cricaction

Alastair Cook, the England captain, who reached the landmark of 10,000 Test runs during the second Test against Sri Lanka at Chester-le-Street on Monday (May 30), has promised to set new benchmarks to keep him going in Tests.

"I never thought I'd get 10,000," he said. "Now I will have to have a rethink and set something else personally. You need something tucked away to drive you to get up running in the morning or bat in the nets. I am still hungry to achieve stuff.

"The 10,000 has been a milestone that has driven me over the last few years. You get tested at the top of the order in all conditions against the best bowlers bowling with the new ball, and I am glad I have hung around long enough, not to get dropped."

When Sri Lanka were asked to follow-on after they were bundled out for 101 in the first innings, Cook still needed five runs to reach the milestone and getting there seemed only possible in the third Test at Lord's. However, a spirited batting display from the visitors ensured that the Essex man had a chance to have a crack at the record.

"Clearly everyone has been talking about it over the past couple of weeks," said the England captain. "I have not managed to do it in style with a big score, but that shouldn't really take away from it [the achievement]. It has played on my mind, but it is a very special moment for me personally. To join the club and the company of the people who have scored 10,000 runs."

Cook also pointed out some of his toughest moments in Tests, his first Ashes in 2006-07, the home series against Pakistan in 2010, when he was nearly dropped, and the series versus Sri Lanka two years ago, which almost saw him quit captaincy.

Australia bond in New York ahead of tri-series

Australia paid a visit to New York before heading to the Caribbean © Cricaction

It was an eventful first day on the job for Justin Langer, Australia's interim national coach. The Western Australian coach has taken the reins during Australia's tour of the Caribbean starting next week in a concerted effort to give incumbent coach Darren Lehmann a welcome respite.

Before they arrive in the Caribbean, the Australian team is enjoying a bonding trip in New York but it started disastrously for Langer, who had his credit card defrauded 22 times in different countries. After cancelling his card, Langer then had go for emergency dental surgery to remove a badly infected tooth that had him in agony. But much like his resilient batting during his 105-Test career, Langer joined the rest of the team at the New York Mets' ballpark later that night.

It culminated a surreal start to Langer's interim coaching tenure. "Today is not how I intended spending my first day in New York," Langer wrote on social media on Monday (May 30). "First I woke up to the news that my credit card had been used 22 times in other countries. Fraud. What is wrong with these crooks? Have had to cancel my card. Then I had dental surgery to remove a badly infected tooth. Shocking experience; although I am glad the pain has gone away. In for another tough night but should be back into it tomorrow. Welcome to New York."

Meanwhile, Australian batsmen Steve Smith, George Bailey and Aaron Finch had the chance for an in-depth chat with Mets hitting coach Pat Roessier. Smith said it was an opportunity to compare notes on sports that have some similarities between them. "It is a great experience to be at the game and to have the chance to watch the batting practice up close beforehand," Smith told The Daily Telegraph. "It would have been perfect to have a hit ourselves but with a series coming up we settled for just watching instead. I played some softball as a kid but didn't play any baseball. I don't follow the game closely but just seeing how different sportsmen go about their business was well worth the effort as you never stop learning.

"There's obviously a bit of crossover as cricket and baseball are both bat and ball sports but there are some different skills between the two," Smith added. "I don't think we could just walk out there and hit home runs straight away like these guys but the same would be true of the baseball batters trying to deal with the bowlers we face."

Smith said the trip to New York was a chance for the team to bond and relax before a gruelling upcoming schedule. "We've been able to use our few days in New York to assemble as a squad following time off for some and the IPL for others and it means when we get to the Caribbean we'll be over jet lag and ready to get going straight away," he said.

Eleven players who failed to live up to expectations in IPL 2016

1. Chris Gayle

Matches: 10 | Runs: 227 | Average: 22.70| Strike Rate: 151.33

Twenty20 cricket's biggest superstar had an average series by his lofty standards. Gayle's poor form post the century against England in the World T20 continued in the IPL as well and at one stage owing to poor results, Kohli went on to drop the Jamaican and include Travis Head in his place.

Before the final, he was averaging less than 17 in the tournament. Has age caught up with him? Is the golden run finally over? Royal Challengers still managed to reach the final despite Gayle's no show but they would expect him to turn things around next season.

2. Parthiv Patel (Wicket-keeper)

Matches: 10| Runs: 177 | Average: 17.70 | Strike Rate: 116.44

Parthiv Patel had a great time in the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament and was expected to replicate his form for Mumbai Indians in the IPL. Considering the fact that he got an opportunity to open the innings, the left-hander failed to make use of it and managed only 177, with 81 of those runs coming in a single game against Kings XI. An average of 17 with a strike rate of 116 is not something an opening batsman would want against his name. With Mumbai Indians acquiring Jos Buttler, Parthiv's future is uncertain.

3. Shreyas Iyer

Matches: 6 | Runs: 30 | Average: 5.00 | Strike Rate: 69.76

After being named the best young player of the tournament last time, the expectations were naturally high on Shreyas Iyer to deliver again this season. He also had a fantastic first-class season where he ended up as the highest run-getter. But to everyone's surprise, he had a nightmarish start this year in the IPL and got to play only six matches as a result.

Out of those six innings, he was dismissed for a duck thrice. He could have probably been on the plane to Zimbabwe if not for this horror show. He will look to put this season behind and be back amongst the runs in the next.

4. Glenn Maxwell

Matches: 11 | Runs: 179 | Average: 19.88 | Strike Rate: 144.35

The Australian all-rounder had an ordinary 2015 season after delivering the goods in 2014. But unfortunately, 2016 became worse as averaged just 19 after playing 11 games. His poor form reflected in his side's results as they managed to finish last yet again.

Apart from a couple of half-centuries and a match-winning cameo against the Supergiants, Maxwell contributed very little to his side. Will things change in 2017?

5. David Miller

Matches: 14 | Runs: 161 | Average: 16.10 | Strike Rate: 122.90

If Maxwell's form hurt Kings XI, Miller's form hit them even harder. When you depend heavily on two overseas stars in the batting department and when they both let you down, you know the ride is going to be a hard one. Like Maxwell, Miller kept failing innings after innings in this tournament and he failed to score even a single half-century, finishing with an average of 16.

Ironically, he was their skipper for the first half of the tournament before getting replaced by Vijay. If the management releases the South African before the auctions next year, it shouldn't come as a surprise.

6. Deepak Hooda

Matches: 17 | Runs: 144 | Average: 10.28 | Strike Rate: 119.00 | Wickets: 3

Sunrisers Hyderabad spent a fortune in acquiring Deepak Hooda's services. Despite his repeated failures, they kept faith in him and he went on to play all 17 matches in their victorious campaign. But all he managed to average was a paltry 10 with the bat.

To make matters worse, he got run-out five times in the tournament. His bowling services weren't required a lot as he bowled only 13 overs in the entire tournament picking up three wickets

7. Hardik Pandya

Matches: 11 | Runs: 44 | Average: 6.28 | Wickets: 3 | Economy: 9.18

After breaking into the national side and eventually going on to play the World T20, the last thing Hardik Pandya would have expected is to get dropped from the Mumbai Indians playing XI. But the tournament panned out to be a total disaster for him and at the same time catapulted his brother into the limelight.

Hardik never got going with the bat and averaged a shocking 6.28 after playing 11 matches. With the ball, he leaked runs at 9.18 per over.

8. Pawan Negi

Matches: 8 | Runs: 57 | Average: 28.50 | Strike Rate: 96.61

After his exploits with Chennai Super Kings last season, Negi was expected to reach the next level this time around. In the auctions, he ended up being the costliest player in the Daredevils squad after his call-up to the national team.

Unfortunately, he couldn't deliver under pressure and eventually faced the axe. Imagine benching your most expensive player! Negi hardly got to bowl in the tournament as well.

9. James Faulkner

Matches: 7 | Runs: 77 | Wickets: 2 | Economy: 9.82

Considering the strong top order Gujarat Lions had at their disposal, James Faulkner's primarily role in this side was to deliver with the ball especially at the death since they already had two good new ball bowlers in the form of Praveen Kumar and Dhawal Kulkarni.

The Australian all-rounder never found his touch with both bat and ball and picked up only two wickets giving away 9.82 runs per over in the seven games he played. In the end, the Lions opted to make Dwayne Smith a permanent member in the side, a move that worked wonders.

10. Mohammed Shami

Matches: 8 | Wickets: 5 | Average: 48.80 | Economy: 9.69

Despite coming back from an injury, Shami was expected to deliver for the Daredevils being their frontline seamer. But the 26-year-old proved to be very expensive and was unable to pick regular wickets as well.

He was expected to form a potent combo with his skipper Zaheer Khan but unfortunately ended up with an economy of 9.69.

11. Ravichandran Ashwin

Matches: 14 | Wickets: 10 | Average: 31.90 | Economy: 7.25

An economy of 7.25 after playing all 14 league games sounds decent enough indeed especially when you also have 10 wickets against your name. But you expect more from Ravichandran Ashwin. MS Dhoni and Supergiants expected more. If not for his four-wicket haul in the final game, his tally read 6 wickets in 13 games which is very poor by his standards.

There were instances where he didn't even get to bowl four overs whenever he looked ordinary. As a strike bowler, he would look to improve his wicket tally in the next edition.

I'm not here to please anyone: Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma is excited about the prospect of playing a day-night Test © Cricaction

Having taken his time to settle down with the bat at the international level, 29-year-old Rohit Sharma has come a long way so far, especially in limited overs cricket. While the red ball may have eluded his bat vis--vis the white one, his ability to score in the shorter formats alone earned him the Ceat 'Indian Cricketer of the Year' award on Monday . Excerpts from an interview with Times of India

How does it feel to be voted the ODI Cricketer of the Year'?

It's nice to have won awards along the way but it doesn't put me under pressure. I don't go out on the field thinking that I want to be ODI or Test cricketer of the year. What motivates me is to win matches for my team and keep performing. Having said that, it's a nice feeling to have won this award and see your performance recognised.

What was the turning point in your ODI cricket? Opening or the MI captaincy in 2013?

Opening the batting definitely helped me change my batting. It gives you more time, responsibility. I never thought I'll open the batting for India some day. I had opened for my school and college teams, but never for Mumbai. But my teammates and the team management believed that I have the technique to handle the new ball. They showed a lot of trust. When you get that, it gives you the motivation too. The team felt that I should be top of the order and I said 'Ok, if they feel so, I should take it as a challenge.' More than technique, I had to work on the mental aspect of my game too. Especially when you play outside India, it isn't easy, because the conditions are different. You've got to counter those challenges. So, mentally I started to train myself. And then everything started to fall in place. In my first stint as an opener, we won the Champions Trophy. I kept backing myself that I can do it. Then, I scored the double hundred against Australia.

Which is your favourite knock? 209 against Australia (2013) or 264 vs Sri Lanka (2015)?

It's difficult to single out any particular knock, because both my double hundreds came in a winning cause. I cannot pick one because double hundreds aren't scored every time in an ODI. 209 was my first double hundred, and came in a decider against Australia and 264 was a world record and in my first game after suffering a finger injury. To come out after a finger injury is never easy. I was just working on my rehab and fitness and little bit of cricketing skills. It's special because I wasn't sure whether I'd be able to hold the bat with the same power again. I was so nervous about it in the night before the game that I was thinking about how I'd bat, what would be my game plan? Would the finger affect my performance or strokeplay? But, on the match day, I went with an open mind, without thinking that I was injured for the last three months. The moment I played my first ball, I stopped thinking about my finger. I was focused on the bowling.

You were in great form going into the T20 World Cup, but then suffered a dip ...

It's sad but things like these happen. You'll have tours where you'd not be that effective. But, I've learnt this in eight years that you've to take things in your stride and move forward. I understand that my form was crucial for us. Every time I went, I was only trying to do my best and give whatever I have. When you're opening, the team expects certain things from you, like giving a solid start and put pressure on the bowlers from ball one. I was only trying to do that. I just wanted to lay the platform for our solid middle-order. I thought I was being extra-positive, which was a mistake. But again, I back my game. That's how I approach cricket and if it doesn't come off, I don't want to get disappointed and put myself down. It's fine. We've allotted certain roles to certain players. Throughout the tournament, we played well. It's just that we were unlucky in Mumbai, where things didn't go our way. 192 was a competitive score on that track. We were one of the strongest bowling sides in the tournament.

Virat Kohli has been in tremendous form. Is he the best batsman in world cricket right now?

Ravi Shastri put it aptly when he said it's only going to benefit Indian cricket. I can't say if he's the best in the world right now. There a lot of guys playing well and he's obviously among them. I hate comparisons, because is not fair. People do it because it's fun for them to do so. Everyone plays differently, bats in a different position. But yes, he's right up there.

You kicked off your Test career with back-to-back hundreds. What happened after that?

If I'd have known what happened, I wouldn't have been in this situation for sure. Yes, there's been a lack of form since then. But again, I'm the sort who doesn't dwell on the past, because the future is bright. We've got so many games coming up. I believe in certain things and one of them is: "What's happened has happened. You can't change it. There's no way I can go back to the 16 Tests I've played and change anything. I can only look at the footage of what mistakes I've made and learn from that. That's what I try and do. I'm not here to please anyone. I'm here to play my cricket and make a contribution to team India. If X,Y, Z is not happy with my performance, they can be unhappy. That's fine. I'm not going to change because they feel I need to change. I seriously don't feel that way .

The team management backed you to succeed in Test cricket...

It's very hard to explain when people don't know... when we're inside that circle where the management thinks about selection in a certain way. If somebody fits into the XI, then he fits there. If they want to play five bowlers, a batsman will miss out, if they want to play six batsmen, a bowler will miss out. Backing and all that will keep happening, but it's too early now. I've just played 16 Tests. People are already commenting about my Test career...taking it to another level. It's fine. I'm not averaging 15 or 20, I'm still averaging 35! I don't know why people talk so much about my Test career. If it happens, it does, if it doesn't, it doesn't. There's no need to get frustrated or worried about it.

Are you looking forward to the possibility of a day-night Test match?

Oh that would be great! We're all looking forward to it. I don't know how it'll pan out eventually. It will be good to play under lights, but we before we play it, we need to get used to it. We've played a lot of cricket with the white ball, but pink ball will be different. It'll be exciting for people to watch. Let's see how it pans out.

India are looking for a new coach. There've been reports that the team is happy to continue with Ravi Shastri...

These decisions aren't in my control. Under Ravi Shastri, we had good fun and success. He understood us well, because before joining the team he was watching us play, so he understands where the guys are going. He knows exactly how each one of us wants to prepare, and he gives us the freedom to do so. I'm sure whatever decision the BCCI takes, it will be in the best interests of the team.

MI failed to make the playoffs this time...

We were inconsistent, which cost us big time. We have to accept the fact that we didn't play the way we were expected to. A lot of things didn't fall in place for us. Players need to keep performing consistently. It is something we need to focus on next year. Every individual knows that he needs to perform when given an opportunity. We were only good in patches. Hyderabad Sunrisers won the tournament because they were consistent in all the departments. If you want to win the tournament, you want guys to chip in at crucial times, which didn't happen with us.

How is Ricky Ponting as a coach?

He is just like how he played his cricket focused and stern.

Monday, 30 May 2016

Memorable moments from Indian Premier League 2016

Sunrisers Hyderabad's moment of crowning glory at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium brought down the curtains on another season of the Indian Premier League. The ninth edition of the tournament started amidst grumblings of Twenty20 overdose and spectator burnout. Severe drought concerns in Maharashtra forced the organisers to tinker with the itinerary. And amidst genuine fears of the season not living up to its billing in the wake of the ICC World Twenty20, it fought back, leaving behind many lingering moments - from incredible to unpredictable, from the seemingly impossible to the bizarre. Here's a collection of the best from IPL 2016.

1. Mustafizur floors Andre Russell

Andre Russell, a power-packed performer and one of the most sought-after T20 cricketers in the world, enjoyed another fine all-round season of IPL. However, in an early season encounter against Sunrisers Hyderabad, the usually unflappable Jamaican met his match in the gangly form of Mustafizur Rahman. Rahman, true to his burgeoning reputation of being one of the finest modern white-ball bowlers, delivered an inch-perfect dipping yorker, flattening the middle stump while leaving the batsman sprawled on the floor. Truly one of the enduring images of the tournament.

2. Dhoni finishes off in style - yet again

For a man accustomed to qualifying out of every IPL league stage, the 2016 season presented itself as a statistical oddity. MS Dhoni's Rising Pune Supergiants had long been ruled out of contention for a playoffs spot. When they squared off against Kings XI Punjab in their final game of the season, they were playing to avoid the ignonimity of finishing last. For large parts of Kings XI's defense of 172, it looked like Punjab would finish above their fellow bottom-of-the-table strugglers. Dhoni, in true Dhoni style, set out to take the match as deep as possible. In this quest, he'd left himself having to score 23 off the final over bowled by left-arm spinner Axar Patel.

A dot, a wide, a six and another dot ball later, the equation read 16 to get off final three. Dhoni had decided to farm the strike, so much so that he'd even let go off an opportunity of a double when Hashim Amla made a diving stop in the fence. He clubbed the next ball over extra cover for four and moved back in his crease to swing one over mid-wicket to reduce the equation to 6 off the final one. A dog entered the field at this moment, adding to the drama while delaying proceedings. By the time it found a safer recluse behind the boundary rope, Axar had had enough time to discuss his options with the captain. He fired it into Dhoni's pads from over the wicket but the master finisher and the wrist of yore took over, dispatching the ball over mid-wicket to seal a memorable win.

3. An on-field spat with a twist

Harbhajan Singh is never shy of indulging in an on-field war of words. The Mumbai Indians' spinner wears his heart on his sleeves when he steps out to play and an emotional outburst is almost one nudge away. In a crucial league encounter against Rising Pune Supergiants, the experienced off-spinner decided to let loose his tongue, only to get it back in installment. Weirdly enough, his verbal exchange was not with an opposition but a teammate, Ambati Rayudu. Rayudu, attempting to stop a boundary in the deep on the leg side by parrying the ball towards an onrushing fielder, inadvertently pushed the ball to the ropes. Unimpressed by the effort, Harbhajan gesticulated towards his fielder, asking him to stay aware. Not one to take it without a rebuttal, Rayudu took offence and fired his own verbal salvo. Rayudu's counter clearly surprised Harbhajan, who quickly slipped into conciliatory mode. But Rayudu, who was expecting an acknowledgment of his efforts, was clearly not impressed.

4. Gambhir's funky Test match field

Gautam Gambhir's aggressive captaincy has borne Kolkata Knight Riders two IPL titles and it is an aspect of his game that he wouldn't partake with easily. The combative captain took this proactive approach a notch higher each time he came up against his Pune counterpart and former Indian teammate, MS Dhoni. Not wanting to allow Dhoni any easy opportunity to rotate strike on a turning Eden Gardens pitch, Gambhir welcomed Dhoni with two slips, a short leg and a silly point (where Gambhir stationed himself). The setup sowed the seeds of doubt in Dhoni, who played an uncertain defensive shot to a Piyush Chawla googly and was only lucky to not have the ball roll back on to the stumps. The constant pressure on Dhoni meant that the Pune skipper could only meander to an 18-ball 7, before an extended rain break ended the visitors' chances in the game.

5. Stitched-up Kohli carves open Kings XI Punjab

Virat Kohli entered IPL 2016 as the best T20 batsmen in the world but one who didn't have a single century in the format. He finished the tournament with four tons to his name and a scarcely believable aggregate of 973 runs from 16 matches. The fourth of the centuries came in a rain-curtailed encounter at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. When the skies cleared and the umpires decided on a 15-overs-a-side match, Murali Vijay elected to field in the hope that Kohli would perhaps not have enough time to score another hundred. But Kohli had been transcending the art of T20 batting throughout the tournament and proceeded to lay into the Kings XI bowlers enroute scoring a 47-ton ball. Upon reaching the milestone, he put up his left arm and repeatedly hit pointed at his webbing, where he'd received multiple stitches for an effort on the field. Such dedication.

6. The mother of all relay catches

Year on year, the IPL has pushed the boundaries of fielding standards. Teams reserve portions of their training session to perfect the fielding art. The latest season was witness to several blinders but the one that took the cake came courtesy a combined effort between Royal Challengers' Shane Watson and David Wiese. Shreyas Iyer, itching to get off to a good start in a big chase, lofted a length delivery over mid-on. As luck would have it, he didn't time the ball all that well giving the fielder a chance to run back and take the catch. Watson ran back from mid-on, keeping his eyes on the trajectory of the ball all the way, and completed a running catch a good 10 metres from the boundary line. However, his momentum was carrying him over the ropes. Just before approaching the boundary cushions and with no alternative in sight he flicked the ball back into play where Wiese, who had joined Watson in the run from mid-off, held on to a diving catch, finishing inches away from the rope. Top draw!

7. Hardik's day of collisions

After a promising start to his international career, Hardik Pandya's stocks nosedived during the IPL following a string of poor performances in the early part of the tournament. The game against Delhi Daredevils at the Feroz Shah Kotla, in particular, was one the young all-rounder would want to readily forget. Hardik came worse off in a collision in the deep when Jos Buttler's shoulder rammed into his face and had to be taken off the field for medical attention. When another opportunity presented itself, during a tense chase, to atone for his gaffe, Hardik found himself in the way of his captain Rohit Sharma, who'd looked primed to pull off a final-over coup. The two collided mid-pitch while attempting a second run and a winded Rohit collapsed onto the floor, allowing Chris Morris to relay a throw to the wicket-keeper's end and effect the run-out, thereby clinching the game for Delhi.

Honourable Mentions:

1. Bravo denies Morris' brilliance with excellent death bowling craft

2. Tabraiz Shamsi's bus driver celebration

3. AB de Villiers hits the Chinnaswamy Stadium roof with a six off a paddle sweep

IPL 2016 - When chasing became the new mantra for success

It was a fitting end to 2016 Indian Premier League that the best team with the ball won the tournament. The bat thoroughly dominated throughout the tournament as the statistics reveal - seven hundreds to a solitary five-wicket haul. Sunrisers Hyderabad had to win three matches in five days which they duly did and were the deserved winners. The best batting side - Royal Challengers Bangalore - led by the highest run-scorer of the tournament - Virat Kohli - took on the best bowling side - Sunrisers - which had the leading wicket-taker - Bhuvneshwar Kumar - in the summit clash at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.

The season also welcomed two new teams - Rising Pune Supergiants and Gujarat Lions - who had contrasting fortunes in the tournament. While Lions finished at the top of the points table at the end of the league phase, Pune had to be satisfied with a second-last spot. It was a tournament which saw batsmen scaling peaks previously unheard of and also one which saw captains leading from the front.

Runs & wickets at every stage in each IPL

	Overs 1-6		Overs 7-15		Overs 16-20		Overall
Season	Average	Run Rate	Average	Run Rate	Average	Run Rate	Average	Run Rate
2016	34.83	7.7	32.72	7.86	19.89	10.16	28.36	8.31
2015	31.8	7.75	29.9	7.83	20.04	10.31	26.72	8.37
2014	33.28	7.55	31.91	7.74	20.87	10.03	28.14	8.2
2013	29.4	6.93	28.82	7.23	18.15	9.57	24.77	7.68
2012	32.71	7.22	30.39	7.39	18.44	9.52	26.14	7.83
2011	29.82	7.2	30.86	7.44	18.28	9.1	25.99	7.73
2010	32.28	7.89	26.94	6.85	17.67	9.13	26.16	8.13
2009	26.37	7.22	26.94	6.85	17.67	9.13	23.35	7.48
2008	30.44	7.7	30.55	7.98	18.09	9.94	26.03	8.31

The overall batting average of 28.36 for this season has been the best across the nine editions of IPL. The average run per wicket in the first six overs and the middle overs (overs 7-15) reached an all-time high this season. Overall run rate of the season was the joint second-highest after 8.37 in just the previous season. The seven centuries scored in this season is also a new high. Two batsmen scored over 700 run in the season - with AB de Villiers missing the mark by just 13 runs - while in the eight previous editions it has happened only thrice.

Batting first vs chasing

					Batting 1st		Batting 2nd
Season	Matches	Won	Lost	W/L ratio	Runs/Wkt	Runs/Over	Runs/Wkt	Runs/Over
2016	60	41	19	2.15	26.43	8.19	30.76	8.43
2015	59	24	32	0.75	28.76	8.53	24.7	8.18
2014	60	37	22	1.68	27.79	8.22	28.6	8.17
2013	76	37	37	1	26.5	7.86	23.14	7.47
2012	75	40	34	1.18	27.11	7.93	25.28	7.71
2011	73	40	32	1.25	25.98	7.78	26.05	7.66
2010	60	28	31	0.9	26.94	8.25	25.43	7.99
2009	57	30	26	1.15	23.27	7.58	23.57	7.37
2008	58	36	22	1.64	23.75	8.23	29.05	8.39

**Excludes winners decided by Super Over

The trend throughout this season has been 'win the toss and chase'. As the win/loss ratio suggests, teams chasing won more than twice the number of matches than while defending a target. The trend of chasing was very evident right from the start of the season and the captains preferred to field in general. Teams winning the toss decided to field for as many as 49 matches and ended up winning 32 of them. On the other hand, the only time a team went on to win a match after opting to bat was Sunrisers Hyderabad who did it twice, including the final. Teams chasing averaged 4.33 runs more per wicket compared to teams batting first in this IPL - the second-highest difference in average among all seasons. The overall average of 30.76 for chasing teams is also the highest in a season in IPL as is the run-rate of 8.43. The difference of 0.24 in run-rate between batting first and batting second is the also the highest till now.

Run rates & Economy rates of teams at every stage in IPL 2016

	BATTING				BOWLING
Team	PP	Middle	Death	Overall RR	PP	Middle	Death	Overall ER
DD	6.92	7.88	9.54	7.93	8.07	7.45	9.42	8.07
GL	7.97	7.91	9.78	8.32	7.4	7.8	10.38	8.21
KKR	7.97	7.91	9.78	8.32	7.4	7.8	10.38	8.21
KXIP	7.57	7.46	9.34	7.92	7.96	8.35	10.01	8.56
MI	7.14	7.64	10.72	8.16	7.64	7.88	9.88	8.23
RCB	8.1	9.22	12.57	9.63	8.09	8.31	10.93	8.83
RPS	7.6	7.61	10.22	8.14	8.14	7.02	10.41	8.15
SRH	7.84	7.52	9.86	8.15	6.95	8.18	8.93	7.96

Delhi Daredevils were by far the worst team in Powerplays. They conceded more than a run an over compared to what they scored. Daredevils averaged 24.21 with the bat and 52.15 with the ball in the first six overs. Kings XI Punjab averaged 66.90 with the ball and did better with the bat averaging 37.41. Royal Challengers were the best team in this phase, scoring at 8.10 per over and averaging 45.76. Gujarat Lions scored at 7.97 in the Powerplays including the top four scores but they averaged only 31.84 because of a mid-tournament slump. Sunrisers opening bowlers were the toughest to get away and were the only team to concede below seven an over (6.95). They also took 26 wickets at 27.27.

Royal Challengers were well above the rest between the seventh over and the 15th, averaging 51.04 where as no one else managed an average above 36. Their scoring rate in these overs was 9.22 - well ahead of the second-placed Kolkata Knight Riders' and Lions' 7.91. Kings XI and Lions were the two teams which struggled in the middle overs. Both teams lost more than 35 wickets in that phase and averaged below 30.

Royal Challengers once again were country miles ahead in the last five overs of the innings averaging 31.29 compared to the tournament average of 19.89 and scored at 12.57, more than two runs an over ahead of others. Lions and Kings XI were the worst in this phase scoring below nine and possessing the worst average of 16.14 among all teams. Sunrisers again were the best team in terms of economy rate with them being the only team to concede at less than nine in the death overs.

Openers in each season of IPL

Season	Matches	Average	Strike rate	50+ scores	Average opening stand
2016	60	34.4	133.54	69	31.83
2015	59	31.4	130.48	48	35.09
2014	60	28.54	125.44	42	30.72
2013	76	27.25	120.18	51	28.96
2012	75	29.62	125.95	59	31.76
2011	73	28.52	124.91	50	32.51
2010	60	29.56	130.21	45	30.54
2009	57	23.65	117.88	32	24
2008	58	29.46	130.42	43	32.41

For the second season in a row we have the openers averaging above 30, something which has never happened in the seven earlier editions. The openers are striking at 133.54 this year which also happens to be the highest in an IPL season. Similar to the last season, we have eight openers among the top ten run-getters with AB de Villiers being the only common non-opener intruder in both the seasons. They had 69 fifty-plus scores amongst themselves, ten more than in 2012 (in 75 matches). The openers in this IPL have done remarkably well while chasing as compared to while batting first, averaging 39.22 to 30.25, a difference of nearly ten runs. 37 half-centuries were scored by openers while chasing and they remained unbeaten 16 times compared to 32 fifties while batting first and only three remained unbeaten.

While the openers have thrived in IPL 2016, the same can't be said about opening partnerships which averaged 30.10 in the season. It is the first time in nine editions that the average opening partnership has fallen behind the average of openers. Ten opening partnerships of Mumbai Indians were single-digit scores while those figures for Lions and Royal Challengers are eight and six respectively. 12 out of 14 opening stands of Daredevils didn't last beyond the fourth over. Sunrisers openers put together 731 runs in 17 innings in the tournament - a record in an IPL season for an opening pair. They, along with the Knight Riders, were the only teams to use the same opening combinations throughout the season.

Pace vs Spin in each season of IPL

	Pace			Spin
Year	Wickets	Average	Econ Rate	Wickets	Average	Econ Rate
2016	413	30.14	8.25	196	34.63	8.1
2015	423	28.54	8.3	201	29.44	8.04
2014	377	30.54	8.29	229	30.31	7.57
2013	604	26.78	7.78	225	26.17	6.88
2012	531	27.09	7.79	241	31.35	7.41
2011	449	28.62	7.79	268	27.6	7.11
2010	405	29.64	8.32	210	28.8	7.34
2009	388	26.25	7.65	226	24.77	6.77
2008	467	28.42	8.05	134	30.38	8.18

Spinners took 196 wickets in the season, failing, for the first time since 2008, to cross the 200-mark. Among the top-ten wicket-takers of the season, Yuzvendra Chahal is the lone spinner. This is the first time IPL saw less than two spinners in the top-ten wicket-takers. They averaged 34.63 per wicket which happens to be the lowest and their economy rate of 8.1 is the second worst since 2008.

The wrist spinners have done much better than finger spinners with four of top-five wicket-takers among spinners were wrist spinners - Yuzvendra Chahal, Amit Mishra, Adam Zampa and Piyush Chawla. Wrist spinners bowled 41.21 per cent of balls but had a wicket share of 52.55 compared to finger spinners.

Top batsmen of the season

Batsman	Runs	Avg	SR	50+ scores	Dots%	(1-3)%	Boundary%
Virat Kohli	973	81.08	152.03	11	26.41	54.53	19.06
David Warner	848	60.57	151.42	9	32.86	45.89	21.25
AB de Villiers	687	52.84	168.79	7	25.55	51.35	23.1
Gautam Gambhir	501	38.53	121.89	5	33.09	52.31	14.6
Shikhar Dhawan	501	38.53	116.78	4	38.93	47.09	13.75
Rohit Sharma	489	44.45	132.88	5	35.05	46.74	17.93
Ajinkya Rahane	480	43.63	126.64	6	34.83	48.55	16.62
Murali Vijay	453	34.84	124.45	5	38.46	45.05	16.48
Quinton de Kock	445	37.08	136.08	4	37.92	41.9	19.88
Suresh Raina	399	28.5	127.88	3	32.69	51.6	15.71

This IPL saw batsmen scaling unprecedented heights. Kohli's 973 runs in the tournament set new batting standards. Kohli and de Villiers put together 939 runs in partnerships throughout. They faced relatively few dot balls with 26.41 per cent and 25.55 per cent respectively. Batsmen generally preferred run chases with Warner, Rohit and de Kock scoring heavily in chases than while batting first. Six out of the top-ten run-scorers also led their sides with only David Miller and MS Dhoni missing out.

Top bowlers of the season

Bowlers	Wickets	Avg	Economy	Dots %	(1-3) %	Boundary %
B Kumar	23	21.3	7.42	42.42	41.92	15.66
Yuzvendra Chahal	21	19.09	8.15	35.03	48.64	16.33
Shane Watson	20	24.25	8.58	36.58	44.84	18.58
Dhawal Kulkarni	18	20.42	7.42	44.56	37.76	17.69
M McClenaghan	17	25.64	8.17	42.45	37.74	19.81
Mustafizur Rahman	17	24.76	6.9	39.07	49.45	11.48
Dwayne Bravo	17	29.05	8.82	29.08	54.3	16.62
Sandeep Sharma	15	24.4	7.32	43.62	40.94	15.44
Jasprit Bumrah	15	27.06	7.8	36.33	48.87	14.79
Chris Morris	13	23.69	7	41.38	45.59	13.03

It was a tournament dominated by the pace bowlers with nine entries out of top-ten being fast bowlers. Mustafizur Rahman was a real revelation in the tournament taking 17 wickets and conceding at just 6.90 per over. Adam Zampa was another find of the tournament taking 12 wickets in five outings at 9.58 and claiming the only five-wicket haul of the season. The duo were the only bowlers to concede below seven per over among those who bowled at least 12 overs in the tournament. Dhawal Kulkarni also impressed with 18 wickets - 14 of which came during the Powerplay overs. 44.56 per cent of his balls were dots, second-best among bowlers who bowled at least 200 deliveries.