Ravichandran Ashwin, the world’s premier off-spinner, recently expressed his views on the evolution of modern-day cricket. He stated that the incredible power-hitting in today’s game is slowly rendering the size of cricket stadiums irrelevant. Ashwin fears that this trend could make the game one-sided.
Ashwin’s comments came in the context of the unreal totals being put up by teams in this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL). Teams have surpassed scores of 250 with the help of the extra batter in the form of Impact Substitutions. Sunrisers Hyderabad posted totals of 277 and 287, which are considered unreal in the context of the sport.
Ashwin express thoughts of the game being one-sided
According to Ashwin, the stadiums built back in the day are not relevant in the modern day. He pointed out that the bats used back then were also used for gully cricket. With LED boards of the sponsors being used, the boundary has come in by 10 yards. He believes that if the trend continues, the game will become very one-sided in the coming days.
Ashwin also expressed concern for the bowlers, stating that they would need a mental boost to cope with the changing dynamics of the game. However, he firmly believes that a good bowler will find his footing and stand out among the pack with his innovations. He said, “Game shifts balance and you have to find answers. There’s a clear window to differentiate yourself”.
Despite the challenges, Ashwin is happy that Rajasthan Royals’ bowling attack hasn’t suffered a lot, unlike some of the other teams. He said, “If you look at the Industrial rate (average runs conceded by teams in IPL), we have gone for less. We defended 180 in Jaipur in one game which was huge”.
Ashwin, known for his sharp sense of humour, had a hilarious take on the size of boundaries this season. He said, “The ground in Jaipur, the boundary is huge. When I saw that, Dhruv Jurel said, ‘Bhaiyya this is so big,’ and I told him ‘Dhruv, at least let it be somewhere.’ Watching that, I felt at this stage of my career, I would need a bicycle to reach the (Sawai Mansingh Stadium) boundary. Then, in the next stadium, I felt I could walk and the next I could run and then in one I felt if I spit my chewing gum, it would cross the boundary rope for a six”.
Ashwin’s comments highlight the changing dynamics of cricket, where the size of the stadium is becoming less relevant due to the power-hitting capabilities of modern batsmen. While this evolution poses challenges for bowlers, it also opens up opportunities for innovation and differentiation.
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