IPL 2023 Week 2 Review: Away wins, last-over finishes and ever-improving batting strike rates biggest talking points

It was a fantastic week 2 in IPL 2023. The last seven days saw a lot of drama and excitement as we had back-to-back close games which were thrilling, to say the least. I worked on four IPL matches the past week which went down the wire. The drama in these games was incredible. The tension on the ground, the nerves – IPL is all about that.

Another new trend was seen this week, that of teams winning away games. We talked at the start of the IPL about how crucial the home wins are going to be in the tournament with the old format returning. But this week a new dimension was added to the league with 6 away wins taking place. That means the sides are travelling well.

One reason why it is happening is because the home sides have laid out very balanced tracks and that is really an interesting development. Chennai and Kolkata are case in point. In KKR’s home game vs SRH, we saw an absolute belter of a wicket. The wicket offered by Chennai vs Rajasthan Royals had turn on it, but it did not turn as much as I thought. This trend is giving the away sides more chances to win and that’s something we need to watch out going forward in this long tournament.

Batters are eager to improve their strike rates

I can clearly see that the batters have been working hard on their strike rates. The great example of that was Harry Brook in the KKR vs SRH clash. The modern-day batters have realised now that it is not so much about the average in this form of the game but strike rates.

At the same time, you should know how to read the situation in the game. Bowlers and batters are not machines that continue to work at the same speed. The nature of this sport is such that there will be many ups and downs and it is important to read the situation and act accordingly. Sometimes, the situation will demand you to go down a gear or two and then switch back to first. That means you are absorbing some deliveries during that time. My point is that if the game situation demands you to absorb deliveries, then it is fine. But if not, then there should be some sense of urgency. The batters these days are aware of that, and they are genuinely trying to improve their strike rates and take the game forward in that way.

IPL has been a spectacle so far

I must mention the atmosphere at the grounds in this IPL. The stadiums are nothing less than a pectacle. I was at Eden Gardens one night covering a match and it was an unbelievable feeling. The atmosphere was amazing. Thanks to the nature of our jobs, one gets to do the toss and pitch report, getting very close to the action. What you experience in IPL doing this cannot be described in words. For players to play in that environment must be really, really special.

Players who stood out in Week 2

The second week of IPL 2023 saw some fine performances. Harry Brook was incredible the other night vs KKR, scoring the first hundred of the season. It was a blistering knock that was amazing to watch. I was commentating in the game when Rinku Singh smashed five consecutive sixes in the last over to win KKR the match. I have never seen something like that before. The KKR win seemed inevitable as once he hit two or three sixes, I started to feel that we were about to watch something very special tonight. You could not have imagined it to happen and that’s why such knocks will be remembered for a long time because they happened when you least expected them to happen.

I covered the CSK vs RR game as well when MS Dhoni almost got Chennai home. RR this year are looking very good. To knock over CSK the way they did was a special sight. The last over saw many twists and turns with Sandeep Sharma starting nervously and then coming back to win the game.

When Dhoni hit him for two sixes, it seemed we were going to see another last-ball six that wins the game for the chasing side. But Sandeep showed great skills and nerves to stop Dhoni.

Mumbai recorded their first win the past week and that must have given a boost to their confidence. The fact that captain Rohit Sharma got a 60-odd must have relieved MI management. Rohit shining and the top order getting the runs bodes well for Mumbai.

Let’s not forget Nicholas Pooran. That fifty he scored against RCB was simply out-of-the-world. I think LSG see him as a finisher. I have a contrasting view on how Lucknow can benefit the most from him. I think Pooran is one of the best ball strikers in the world and he should not be pigeon-holed as a finisher. They need to bring him up a little. Same for Rinku Singh in KKR. They should be given more balls to show their strength.