Every year, run-scoring in the IPL only increases, with bigger bats, shorter boundaries and placid surfaces turning it into a run-fest. IPL 2026, however, has been unlike any other season in recent times.
Teams have regularly made over 200 in the first innings and, even more impressively, chased down 200-plus totals consistently, putting the idea of ‘what is a good score’ firmly in the bin.
On Monday, it was Lucknow Super Giants’ turn to bear the brunt as they watched Mumbai Indians chase down 229 with more than an over to spare.
LSG coach Justin Langer was asked whether such high-scoring chases were good for the game or if the balance between bat and ball needed restoring. The Australian could only marvel at what he was seeing, while also acknowledging the pressure it puts on bowlers.
“I literally, as an ex-batter and an ex-warrior who loves batting and a coach for a long time, I cannot believe the batting I’m seeing at the moment. It is breathtaking. It is absolute.”
“Who would have thought, however many years ago you have run chasers like we’ve just seen today, or Nicky Pooran or Rickelton come – and we’re not even talking about the young kids. Raghuvanshi walked out today in his first IPL game and hit a six. If I’d played, it would have made my day, but I’d be so nervous I’d be blocking it.”
“And these guys are just coming, they’ve just got no fear, and I think it’s rubbing off on some of the more senior players. So I think it’s good for the game – it’s entertaining. And you know what happens is that we say it’s very one-sided, but actually, when you look at it, when batters are batting like that, the bowlers have to hold their nerve. And you would say a lot of the time it’s hard when you’re under that much pressure. I thought Prince Yadav today – I think he bowled three overs for 22, and his last one went for 10, I think – so they’re really good bowlers, they’re still going to hold their nerve. So, you know, that’s what we’re seeing,” he said in the post-match press conference.
Langer said the shift in approach had forced teams to rethink their combinations, with LSG restructuring their batting order to keep pace.
“I thought the whole restructure of our batting order was a positive. We’ve identified – last summer or last season – all our metrics where we were on top of everything with our batting, this year were right down the bottom, so we had to do something.
“Seeing Nicky Pooran bat like that and bring smiles to everyone’s faces – you could see how determined he was. And I actually turn up to every training session just to watch Nicky Pooran bat.”
“And even though he’s working so hard, he hasn’t had the season he’s wanted so far, but today just shows why he is one of the great T20 players in the world. So it was great entertainment, and yeah, that’s a real positive for us,” the former Australian coach added.
Pant’s form
Despite the loss, Langer backed captain Rishabh Pant, insisting the wicketkeeper-batter was close to rediscovering his best form.
“Well, it’s funny how we played a practice game here two days ago, and Rishabh, I think he got… I’m not sure the exact final score, maybe 95 off 40 balls or 30 balls or something.
“And you’re just looking at it again, and you go, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s Rishabh Pant at his very best.’ So, you know, he’s a very good player; we know that. We’ve seen him in Test cricket destroy teams at number five.”
“And we felt today, with that and the way he played just two days ago after a seven-day break, that might be a good option for the team. He selflessly moved down the order to let Nicky P bat – that was unbelievable.”
“So yeah, I mean, Rishabh’s not far off. As a captain in the IPL, as a coach, you’ve got to keep fronting up, don’t you? That’s all you can do. And he’ll keep fronting up and hopefully help us get some wins over the next few games,” the Australian said.
LSG next take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru at home on Thursday.
