Former India batters Cheteshwar Pujara and Sanjay Bangar feel IPL 2026 has fundamentally rewritten what T20 batting looks like. They point to soaring scoring rates, a more fearless mindset from the opening over, and a season where totals are not merely big but often chased down. In their view, the tournament has become the most explosive in its history—supported by the numbers after the first 35 matches.
Quick facts from the season so far
- After 35 matches, teams are scoring at an overall run rate of 9.79.
- Powerplay scoring rate has reached 10, the highest ever in an IPL season.
- Batters are attacking from ball one, including Abhishek Sharma, Priyansh Arya, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Prabhsimran Singh, Ishan Kishan and Devdutt Padikkal.
- This edition already has 29 scores of 200+.
- In the same stage four years ago, there were 15 scores of 200+.
- From the first 35 games, there have been 7 successful chases of 200+.
- Punjab Kings chased 265 in a win against Delhi.
- The all-time IPL record for successful 200+ chases in a season has been broken, with 10 successful 200 chases so far (Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals).
- More than half the tournament remains.
- Balls per boundary rate is at an all-time low of 4.5 for the full season duration.
- During the powerplay, balls per boundary drops to 3.8.
- Boundaries account for 64% of the runs scored this season, an all-time high.
- FCs have already produced 10 sub-20-ball fifties so far this season.
Pujara argued that the shift is not limited to a single phase of batting, but is visible across innings plans. “This season feels different because it’s not just one phase; it’s the entire batting approach that has evolved,” he said. He added that the Impact Player rule has given teams more room to press harder for longer, yet the bigger marker is how frequently 200-plus totals are being chased successfully.
The rise in high scores is reflected in the sheer volume of 200+ innings. So far, 29 times teams have crossed the 200 mark, which is a sharp jump from the 15 such scores recorded at the same point four years earlier. Just as striking is how often those large targets have been turned into successful chases, with seven victories achieved in chases of 200+ from the first 35 matches.
One chase that underlined the new tempo was Punjab Kings’ remarkable pursuit of 265 against Delhi. The frequency of these successful chases has been so high that the season has already surpassed the previous best for any IPL campaign. With more than half the tournament still to play, there are already 10 successful 200-plus chases registered, shared by Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals.
Why the aggression is showing up in the data
Both Pujara and Bangar pointed to how the style of scoring has changed, not just the final numbers. The balls-per-boundary figure has fallen to an all-time low of 4.5 across the tournament’s duration, meaning boundaries are arriving more frequently than ever. In the powerplay specifically, that figure dips even further to 3.8, reinforcing that teams are taking the attack to bowlers immediately.
Boundaries have also become the dominant route to runs, with 64% of all scoring this season coming from boundaries—again described as a record high. In addition, FCs have already managed 10 fifties in under 20 balls, showing that quick acceleration is occurring consistently rather than occasionally.
Another sign of the new age of T20 batting is the impact of young batters, and Vaibhav Suryavanshi has been one of the standout examples. He has shared the fastest fifty of the season, reaching the milestone in 15 deliveries, with Abhishek Sharma—and he has matched that mark on three separate occasions. At just 15 years old, Vaibhav is also the quickest striker of the ball (strike rate 238.09) among players who have played eight or more innings this season.
Bangar and Pujara both linked that kind of output to a broader mindset shift, where fearlessness is being demanded early in the innings. Highlighting the trend, Pujara said players like Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Priyansh Arya and Devdutt Padikkal are setting the tone with intent from the first ball. “It’s not about building an innings anymore,” he added. “It’s about scoring as many runs as possible in the least number of balls, while also hitting as many boundaries as you can.”
Bangar echoed the theme, stressing that the aggressive approach is visible from the start of an innings rather than developing gradually. He described it as “the most explosive” TATA IPL season they have seen, pointing specifically to how teams play with a flatter, more ruthless mindset during the powerplay. In his words, sides are no longer feeling their way in—they are going flat out.
He also underlined strike rate as the defining measure in modern T20 cricket. Bangar said players such as Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Suryavanshi set the tone quickly and force bowlers into uncomfortable bowling plans. “Strike rate is everything now,” he noted, adding that it has effectively made averages almost irrelevant in the format.
Batting surfaces and the coaching ecosystem
Finally, Bangar credited conditions as an important enabler of the current scoring surge. He said all of this is possible because of strong batting surfaces and the work being done by BCCI curators across the country. The message from both former India players is consistent: the season’s explosiveness is being driven by a combination of intent, rule freedom, and match-ready conditions that reward aggressive batting.
