The IPL has undergone a massive change since its inception - but what really has changed?
It has often been said that the game of cricket has changed over the years. The line is repeated so often that it can feel vague, as if it simply points to bigger scores and more sixes. But the changes run deeper than that. It can be seen in how innings are paced, how teams use their players, and how risk is taken at different stages. This holds true for the Indian Premier League as well, which no longer looks quite the same. There are now fewer pauses and less room to reset, shifts that show up in clear, measurable changes across the league over time.
Phase-wise shift: From late acceleration to all-phase scoring
In 2008, the inaugural season of the league, the innings was clearly divided into three phases, each with a defined role. The powerplay produced runs at 7.12 an over, showing a measured start rather than an aggressive one. In the middle overs, sides scored at 7.52, underlining how rarely the game moved along in this phase. Acceleration was left for the end, with the final five overs yielding runs at 9.42, the highest across phases. Scoring and risk were both concentrated at the back end, with long stretches of low intent defining much of the innings.
In 2025, the phases flattened out, with scoring no longer reserved for the end. The powerplay produced runs at 9.12 an over, showing far greater intent from the start. The middle overs yielded runs at 8.60 - while this was a clear rise from 2008, the increase was not as steep as in the powerplay, which made the phase appear relatively quieter in comparison. This was partly a consequence of teams front-loading their aggression, but also of bowling sides adapting with defensive fields, matchup-based spin usage, and variations to briefly check scoring through the middle.
The death overs remained the most explosive, with runs coming at a rate of 10.36. The finish was strong, but no longer the only phase where teams accelerated.
What this showed was not just an increase in scoring, but a redistribution of it. In 2008, teams often waited, knowing that the final overs would carry the innings. In 2025, there was no such cushion. Scoring was spread more evenly across phases, and falling behind early was harder to recover from, because there was no single phase where teams could reliably make up the difference.
Batting structure shift: From top-heavy reliance to distributed firepower
In 2008, positions 1 to 3 scored 8,947 runs at a strike rate of 130.1, over half of the runs by the top-eight batters, while Nos. 4 and 5 added 4,594 runs (28%) at 129.88. Positions 6 to 8 contributed 2,921 runs (18%), averaging under 18, with four fifties and 129 sixes at a strike rate of 132.59. While they had the highest strike rate among all other batters that year, finishers were largely theoretical, facing just 17.5% of balls, which limited their impact.
By 2025, the structure across positions remained broadly similar, but all segments contributed more substantially. The top three scored 13,764 runs at a strike rate of 158.53 (56% of the total), while Nos. 4 and 5 added 6,577 runs (27%) at 147.59. Positions 6 to 8 maintained their 18% share with 4,362 runs, averaging 22.71 at a strike rate of 151.51, with nine fifties and 248 sixes. Their share of balls faced grew only slightly from 17.5% to 18%, but they faced nearly 700 more deliveries, showing they batted earlier and longer. Overall, six-hitting across the top eight more than doubled from 2008, allowing the top order to take greater risks - reflected in their strike rate surge - knowing finishers could accelerate or rescue the innings.
Part of this evolution has to do with the introduction of the Impact Player rule, which has extended batting line-ups to eight genuine options. So, while the lower middle order and finishers still faced roughly the same share of deliveries, they could now accelerate and clear the boundary far more effectively, allowing the top order to take greater risks without jeopardising the innings.
Team totals shift: From rare 200s to the norm
Between 2008 and 2022, the 200-run mark was breached just 6.99% of the time in the IPL, with 133 such totals in 1902 innings. Since then, it has jumped to 29.68%, with 130 instances in just 438 innings, showing how quickly the scoring rates have shifted. In 2008, teams averaged around 145 per innings, with just over 10 sixes per game, which meant 200 was rare and usually match-winning.
By 2025, the average runs per innings had risen to 172, and six-hitting had climbed to nearly 18 per innings, making 200 a more common score. Importantly, wickets lasted almost the same duration, at around 19 balls per dismissal in both seasons. This is a crucial detail: players are not batting longer; they are batting faster within the same number of deliveries per wicket. It suggests that batters are finding more boundaries per over while maintaining similar survival rates. In other words, the game has become more efficient, not just more aggressive.
All of this tangibly explains how the structure of a T20 innings has changed over the years. It is not just about bigger scores, but about how those scores are built. Teams no longer wait for the end to accelerate, batting runs deeper, and scoring firepower is spread across the innings. The Impact Player rule has only pushed this further, giving sides the freedom to attack without worrying as much about running out of batters. The result is a game played at a higher pace throughout, where there is little room for slow phases or recovery.
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