Laxman Sivaramakrishnan suggests how spinners can survive in IPL

Former India leg-spinner Laxman Sivaramakrishnan has offered his advice on how spinners can hold their own against power hitters in the Indian Premier League. Sivaramakrishnan, who played 9 Tests and 16 ODIs for India between 1983 and 1987, took to social media to share his thoughts on the challenges spinners face in the shortest format of the game.

Sivaramakrishnan suggested that the key for spinners is to bowl slower through the air while imparting more spin on the ball, rather than rushing the delivery through. He argued that bowling quickly as a spinner only makes things easier for batters who are already generating high bat speed to hit the ball hard.

The former right-arm leg-spinner retired from BCCI commentary in March 2026 after a 23-year career in that role, but he has continued to share his views on the game through social media.

What did Sivaramakrishnan say about spinners in the IPL?

Sivaramakrishnan addressed the common complaint among spinners about the difficulty of bowling on flat pitches in the IPL when destructive batters are at the crease. He pointed out that when power hitters are batting, their bat swing is naturally fast because they are trying to generate maximum power, and spinners who bowl quickly only play into their hands.

He explained that a spinner who slows the ball down through the air and puts plenty of spin on it forces the batter into a situation where the ball arrives later than expected, after the batter has already committed to the shot. This, he argued, is the most effective way for a spinner to disrupt the timing of a power hitter in T20 cricket.

“If bowlers are complaining about cement roads in IPL, when power hitters are batting, their bat swing is going to be fast to generate the power. Simple thing, bowl slower through the air and impart a lot spin, then the ball will arrive after the batter has finished his shot. Spinners bowl quick will get hammered cos of the fast bat swing,” Laxman Sivaramakrishnan wrote on X. (formerly Twitter)

Why does Sivaramakrishnan’s view carry weight in spin bowling discussions?

Sivaramakrishnan represented India as a specialist leg-spinner across both Test and one-day cricket during the 1980s, giving him direct experience of the craft of spin bowling at the highest level. His playing career spanned from 1983 to 1987, during which he featured in 9 Tests and 16 ODIs for India.

Beyond his playing days, Sivaramakrishnan spent 23 years as a BCCI commentator before announcing his retirement from that role in March 2026. That long stint in commentary meant he observed the evolution of T20 batting and bowling at close quarters over many years, adding practical depth to his perspective on how spinners should adapt their approach in the IPL.

His advice centres on a straightforward principle: use the natural attributes of spin bowling, flight and turn, rather than trying to match the pace of the game. This is a view rooted in the fundamentals of the craft rather than any specific tactical system, and it reflects the kind of thinking that has guided successful spin bowlers across formats for decades.