The T20 World Cup of 2024 has been a bowlers’ paradise, where the ball has dominated the bat. This T20 World Cup boasts the lowest run rate ever in the group stage: a mere 6.71 runs per over across 37 completed matches. The previous record was 7.43 in 2021, making this edition a stark contrast with a 0.72-run difference.
How have bowlers dominated the T20 World Cup so far?
Wickets have fallen at an astonishing rate of every 17.80 runs, setting a new low for T20 World Cups. The top-order batters (positions 1 to 3) have found it tough, averaging only 18.19 runs per dismissal—a significant drop from previous tournaments. Their strike rate of 110.44 is the lowest ever in a T20 World Cup.
Every seventh innings by a top-order batter resulted in a duck, emphasizing the bowlers’ dominance. In the USA, quick bowlers thrived, bagging 125 wickets across 13 matches. Their average was 17.50, and they conceded just 5.94 runs per over. Spinners, limited to a fourth of the overs in the USA, took 34 wickets at an average of 21.6.
In the West Indies, spinners had their fun, claiming 116 wickets at an average of 19.46 and an economy rate of 6.61. Fast bowlers were more expensive but compensated with 181 wickets at an average of 17.52. Lockie Ferguson etched his name in history, bowling 24 dot balls in a single match against Papua New Guinea.
The previous record for the fewest runs conceded in four overs was shattered multiple times in this tournament. Bowlers like Ottniel Baartman, Adil Rashid, and Mustafizur Rahman joined the dot-ball party.
This year’s #T20WorldCup has so far been the slowest-scoring in the tournament’s history 📷 pic.twitter.com/tjLLNs17g4
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 19, 2024
As the Super Eight stage unfolds, will the batsmen rise from their slumber? Expect fireworks, tactical battles, and perhaps a shift in fortunes. For now, the bowlers reign supreme, leaving us eagerly awaiting the next twist in this gripping World Cup.
In this bowler-dominated saga, the cricketing world holds its breath—will the pendulum swing, or will the bowlers continue their relentless assault? Only time will tell.
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