IPL 2024: Ganguly calls for bowler-friendly pitches to restore bat and ball balance

Flat decks and the Impact Player rule have resulted in a total of 200 being far from safe at majority of the venues in IPL 2024. Ganguly, who has overseen Kotla’s transformation into a low-scoring venue last season into a batting paradise in the ongoing edition, hoped that the trend doesn’t sustain.

Delhi Capitals’ Sourav Ganguly during the IPL 2024. | Photo Credit: K.R Deepak / The Hindu

Sourav Ganguly on Friday has called for bowler-friendly tracks in order to restore the balance between the bat and the ball.

“This is a fantastic wicket to bat on. Not the biggest of grounds, so it’s very hard on the bowlers. Really not easy on the bowlers at all,” Ganguly, the Delhi Capitals’ director of cricket, said when asked about high scores in the two games at the Arun Jaitley Stadium so far.

“The way it’s going all around IPL, bowlers are getting carted all over. That’s one area that needs to be looked at in the future, a proper balance between bat and ball.”

Flat decks and the Impact Player rule have resulted in a total of 200 being far from safe at majority of the venues in IPL 2024. Ganguly, who has overseen Kotla’s transformation into a low-scoring venue last season into a batting paradise in the ongoing edition, hoped that the trend doesn’t sustain.

With the T20 World Cup selection lurking around, Ganguly stressed Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav were certainties in India’s squad from Delhi Capitals along with captain Rishabh Pant. “Rishabh, Kuldeep and Axar are certainties for me at the T20 World Cup,” Ganguly said.

“The way things are going in T20, Rohit (Sharma) will want someone to come at No. 8 and bat, give those 15-20 runs which Axar can easily do, and if he needs someone to go and smack spinners, Axar can do it. That’s the advantage of (Ravindra) Jadeja and Axar, they are so talented and gifted.”