Power Play of IPL 2023: Assessing the Effectiveness of IPL Powerplay Strategies

In IPL or any format of limited overs cricket, the powerplay is equally important as the final few overs or the death overs as the batters get a chance to utilise the two fielders outside the 30-yard circle limit to score freely.

Similarly, bowlers will use early conditions and the new ball to get early breakthroughs for their teams. In a full T20 game, the first six overs is the powerplay overs, when only two fielders allowed in the deep to protect boundaries.

In the bygone IPL 2023, we saw some teams target the powerplay to score runs, while some targetted the death overs to pile on the runs. Also, some teams did terribly at both phases of the game with bat or ball.

In IPL 2023, a total of 7667 runs were scored in 147 innings as 956 fours and 245 sixes were smashed by the batters, while the bowlers claimed 213 wickets in as many innings.

With the bat, it was runners up Gujarat Titans, who scored most runs inside powerplay, having played an extra game than the others, while champions CSK lost the fewest wickets in the first six overs, showing the dominance of the finalists.

IPL 2023 Powerplay Scores: List of First Six Overs Scores Of Every Match in Indian Premier League Season 16

Sunrisers Hyderabad hardly got off the blocks, while Kolkata Knight Riders, Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals lost the most wickets inside the powerplay during the bygone IPL 2023. Mumbai Indians smashed the most sixes, whereas GT hit the most fours.

Now, let’s see how each team has done in the powerplay over the course of the season. The below table ranks teams based on the number of runs scored in the first six overs.

IPL 2023 Powerplay Batting Performance

Royal Challengers Bangalore were the second best side when it came to losing fewer wickets in the powerplay with the bat and the Bangalore-based side was the most deadly team with the ball in the first six overs.

RCB claimed the most wickets inside powerplay followed by the finalists GT and CSK. GT registered the most dot balls bowled in the opening overs followed by RCB with Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj contributing the most for the sides.

RCB and CSK may have claimed most wickets in the powerplay, but the two sides conceded the most sixes in the first six overs. GT gave away the most fours inside the powerplay.

Now, let’s take a look at the bowling performance of teams in IPL 2023 powerplay as KKR conceded the most runs, but the team with the fewest wickets taken was Lucknow Super Giants as they did not bowl in one innings. Table is ranked on best run rate.

IPL 2023 Powerplay Bowling Performance