A recurring theme in the IPL historically has been about setting the game in with the new ball first up, and 2025 has been no different. In the 11 IPL matches so far, the winning teams have scored at a rate of 11.16 per over in the powerplay, losing 10 wickets at an average of 73.7, while the corresponding numbers in defeats are 9.21 runs per over with 22 wickets at 27.63.
IPL 2025
Data shorts: RR pounce on CSK's short-ball vulnerabilities
Jofra Archer conceded only 13 runs from his three-over spell in the powerplay © BCCI/IPL
No team has struggled more to get going from the outset than the Chennai Super Kings. The five-time winners scoring at merely 7.44 in the powerplay across their first three games, comfortably the lowest among the 10 teams and well below the overall competition rate of 10.18. For further clarity, the average powerplay score in the first 11 games has been 61. For CSK, it has been 45.
At the heart of their inefficiency has been struggles against the short-balls first up. Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar
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