Gautam Gambhir bats for change in ball manufacturer© BCCI/Sportzpics
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 continues to be a nightmare for most bowlers, with batters enjoying unprecedented success in the tournament so far. A total of nine 200+ totals have already been witnessed in this IPL, with teams showing now signs of a slowdown either. Seeing batters tear apart bowlers in most matches, commentator Harsha Bhogle suggested a change in the ball manufacturer. Now, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) mentor Gautam Gambhir has echoed his comments, suggesting another manufacturer can be used to replace the existing Kookaburra balls.
“If a manufacturer cannot produce a ball which can last for 50 overs, might as well change the manufacturer. There’s nothing wrong with changing the manufacturer. What is this compulsion with only using the Kookaburra?,” Gambhir said on his debut episode of 180 Not Out.
Earlier, Harsha Bhogle had said, “I will reiterate this. We need greater balance between bat and ball and in a situation where the pitches aren’t helping, the ball must do more in the air. How about a Duke ball, a ball with a more pronounced seam, that allows more lateral movement and ensures batters can’t just hit through the line at will. Love to hear expert opinions on this.”
I will reiterate this. We need greater balance between bat and ball and in a situation where the pitches aren’t helping, the ball must do more in the air. How about a Duke ball, a ball with a more pronounced seam, that allows more lateral movement and ensures batters can’t just…
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) April 15, 2024
This season, Sunrisers Hyderabad have already scored ‘record’ IPL team totals on two occasions. After scoring 277 against Mumbai Indians, they broke their own record and put 287 on the board against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
On Tuesday, Rajasthan Royals chased down the target of 224 against Kolkata Knight Riders, registering another record when it comes to successful chases in the IPL. Fair to say that the equation between the bat and the ball has tilted in favour of the batters.
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