'Batters dominated, six-hitting became norm': Aakash Chopra on IPL 2024

New Delhi [India], March 8 (ANI): Former Indian cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra believes that the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 showcased a clear shift in the evolution of T20 cricket, with batting dominance taking centre stage.
Speaking exclusively on JioHotstar, Chopra analyzed how teams, particularly Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Mumbai Indians (MI), redefined the game with their aggressive approach.
Chopra said, as per JioHotstar, "IPL 2024 was dominated only by the batsmen. We have seen a small trailer of the future as to where exactly this T20 game is going. They are hitting sixes on sixes; whoever comes, hits. 277--that was unthinkable at that moment. But the Sunrisers did it, setting up a massive challenge for Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan. It was either going to be an absolute thriller or an uphill battle. 277 was on the board, and winning didn't even seem like a possibility at first. But then Rohit took his stance, and Ishan started from the other end. As they began striking the ball cleanly, the game took a bizarre turn. Suddenly, it felt like anything was possible!"
The former cricketer highlighted how relentless six-hitting became the defining feature of the tournament, with players showing no hesitation in taking on bowlers.
"Keep hitting sixes, keep going, keep smashing. One batter gets out, and another comes in and starts hitting. Then he falls, and another takes his place, continuing the onslaught. They just didn't stop. At that point, you had to accept that this was turning into a six-hitting fest. Ironically, in my opinion, the team that hit more sixes actually ended up losing the game. Mumbai hit 20 sixes, while Hyderabad hit 18. Yet, the team that hit 20 sixes lost, and the team that hit 18 sixes won," he added.
Chopra also pointed out that batters' mindsets have undergone a significant transformation, leading to an aggressive approach never seen before in the game.
"Six months ago, such high scores were rare in one-day cricket. We even had a World Cup in India, yet the game wasn't played at this pace. Suddenly, batters have realized their immense potential. The pitches are good, the impact player rule is in place, and teams have more flexibility in their approach. However, the real transformation has happened in the mind. The skill set hasn't changed, but the mentality has. This shift in mindset has completely changed the way batters approach the game. When you play with a fearless attitude, the sky is truly the limit," he noted.
With IPL 2024 setting new benchmarks in power-hitting, Chopra's analysis suggests that this is just the beginning of a new era in T20 cricket, where fearless batting could become the ultimate game-changer. (ANI)