IPL 2025 vs IPL 2024: Spinners rule as six appeal dips

At the start of the 2025 season, it seemed there would be new highs in terms of scoring rates and totals this year, as 119 sixes were struck in the first five games (compared to 87 after five matches last year), and 200 was breached six times, including three totals of over 240.

Since then, though, the bowlers have hit back, aided by conditions which haven't always been perfect for big-hitting. The result is that after 50 matches, the overall numbers for 2025 have fallen behind last year's in terms of run rates, sixes and 200-plus totals. At the same stage last year, three teams - Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) - had run rates in excess of 10, but this season Gujarat Titans (GT) are the only teams to tick that box.

In both seasons, exactly 103 fifty-plus scores have been made, but that includes 11 centuries in 2024 and only four this season. And the phase-wise numbers show that 2025 is ahead in run rates and sixes count only in the powerplay; in the two other phases they have dropped behind 2024.

The progression in the tally of sixes best illustrates the difference between the two seasons. After 29 matches, the current season had 38 more sixes than at the same point last year; after 30 matches the difference reduced to 13, thanks to a 38-six match in Bengaluru between RCB and SRH last year. After 50 matches, 2025 is lagging by as many as 70 sixes. Last year, there were three matches in the first 50 with more than 35 sixes, but the highest this year is 32.

With 220 wickets at an average of 30.02, spinners are collectively having a much better season than they did last year. At the same stage in 2024, they had taken only 154 wickets at an average of almost 37. In percentage terms too, spinners have had a lot more to contribute this year, bowling almost 41% of the total overs, and taking 39% of all the bowler wickets; last year, the corresponding percentages were only 33% and 27%.

This year, six spinners have taken 12 or more wickets - Noor Ahmad, Yuzvendra Chahal, Krunal Pandya, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav and R Sai Kishore. Last season, only two spinners had achieved this after 50 games - Kuldeep and Chahal.

The difference is quite stark in the middle overs. This season, spinners have 44 more wickets in this phase than they did after 50 matches last year, and have bowled more than 61% of the overs. Last year, pace bowlers took more wickets in this phase - 138 to 127 - but in 2025, spin has dominated, taking 171 wickets compared to 106 for the seamers.

In the first couple of weeks this season, teams batting first had the edge, winning 13 of the first 23 matches. Since then, the tables have turned completely, as teams batting second have won 17 and lost only eight. That means the overall win-loss record is 27-21 in favour of the chasing team this season (excluding the game that went into the super over). Last year after 50 games the gap was smaller - 27-23 in favour of the team batting second.

The team winning the toss has also had a significant advantage this season, with a 29-19 win-loss record, including 18-7 in the last 27 matches. Last year it was 28-22 in favour of the team winning the toss. RCB are the only team which hasn't lost a single game after winning the toss - they have a spotless 4-0 record - while they are also one of three teams to win three matches after losing the toss (GT and Mumbai Indians are the others).