PL 2025: From Fireworks to Fightbacks – The Season So Far

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IPL 2025: The Calm After the Opening Storm

If you blinked during the first few games of IPL 2025, chances are you missed a flurry of fours, sixes, and some eye-popping totals. The tournament kicked off with fireworks—literally—with batsmen dominating the show and bowlers left chasing leather. But as we move into the heart of the season, things have begun to shift dramatically. The storm seems to have passed, and the calm has set in.

Here’s a deep dive into how the season has unfolded so far—and how the explosive start has given way to a more balanced, tactical contest between bat and ball.

💥 Week One Mayhem: A Batsman’s Paradise

The first four or five days of IPL 2025 were nothing short of a six-hitting festival. Here's what we saw in just the first five matches:

  • Average run rate: A stunning 10.7 runs per over

  • Three 240+ totals, with teams batting like it was a video game

  • 20 overs went for 20+ runs, a nightmare for bowlers

At one point, fans were joking that anything under 200 was basically a warm-up score. Chases of 230+ were becoming the norm, not the exception. But like every good rollercoaster, what goes up must come down.

📉 Reality Check: Bowlers Fight Back

The high-flying start didn't last forever. As pitches settled and bowlers adjusted, things began to slow down—and how!

Let’s compare the first 9 games with the next 10:

  • Run rate dropped by almost a full run

  • Balls per six increased by 4, which means fewer fireworks

  • 190+ scores were halved

  • Overs conceding 20+ runs came down by a massive 67%

Suddenly, chasing teams weren’t just walking into wins with ease. It became clear: bowlers weren’t just here to participate—they were ready to dominate.

🧮 By the Numbers: IPL 2025 vs IPL 2024

Now here’s where it gets even more interesting. Despite the hot start, the numbers have cooled enough that 2025 is now only marginally ahead of IPL 2024 when it comes to overall scoring.

Check this out:

  • After 5 matches:

    • 2025’s run rate: 10.7

    • 2024’s run rate: 9.13

  • After 19 matches:

    • 2025: Just 0.08 ahead of 2024 in overall run rate

Even in terms of sixes:

  • After 5 games, 2025 had 119 sixes, compared to 2024's 87

  • Fast forward to 19 games, and 2024 has overtaken 2025 in total sixes

  • However, the balls-per-six ratio still favors 2025

In simple terms, while 2025 started with a bang, 2024 has crept back up in the stats battle—and it's neck and neck.

🔍 Team-Wise Breakdown: Who’s Hot, Who’s Not

✅ Gujarat Titans (GT) – Most Improved Batting Side

  • 2024: Run rate of just 8.56, with a 2-2 record after 4 matches

  • 2025: A huge jump to 10.08 runs per over

  • Big totals? ✔️

    • Chased 170 in just 17.5 overs

    • Knocked off 153 in 16.4 overs

    • Scored 232 batting second

No doubt about it—GT have stepped up big time this season.

📉 Chennai Super Kings (CSK) – Falling Behind

  • Last year’s run rate: 9.12

  • This year? A steep fall to just 8.05 runs per over

  • They've struggled to get momentum going and are paying the price in tight games

⚠️ Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) – The Wild Ride

  • Kicked off with a mammoth 286 against RR

  • But after that? Only crossed a run rate of 9 once in 4 innings

  • They lead in an unwanted chart: Conceded at 10.73 runs per over

  • Four times in five matches, they’ve gone for 10+ an over

  • Last match? Leaked 153 in just 16.4 overs against Gujarat—ouch!

🛡️ Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) – Bowling Brilliance

  • The only team so far with an economy rate below 8.5

  • 8.47 RPO across three matches

  • Can they keep it up when they face the mighty Mumbai Indians at Wankhede?

If you're backing a bowling side this season, RCB might just be your team.

🏏 Where Are The Nail-Biters?

One thing IPL fans love is a last-over thriller, and let’s be honest—we’ve been a bit short-changed on that front so far in 2025.

Only 3 matches out of 19 have been close finishes:

  • CSK vs MI

  • DC vs LSG

  • RR vs CSK

By contrast, at this point in 2024, we already had 7 such close games.

Instead, what we’ve mostly seen are one-sided affairs:

  • 12 games have been decided by:

    • 25+ runs, or

    • 20+ balls to spare

While big wins are fun for the winning team, nothing beats the adrenaline of a match going down to the wire. Hopefully, week 3 and beyond will spice things up with some dramatic finishes.

🎯 Final Thoughts: From Fireworks to Fine Margins

What started as a six-hitting, record-shattering spectacle has now turned into a more calculated contest. Bowlers have figured out their lines and lengths. Captains are reading pitches better. And batters are being forced to work harder for their runs.

Here’s a quick recap of the season’s turning points so far:

  • Explosive Start: Run rates of 10.7, six 200+ totals in just 4 days

  • Sudden Shift: Only three 200+ scores in the next 10 matches

  • Balanced Battle: Both bat and ball now holding their own

  • Close Games Scarce: Fans hungry for more thrillers

Whether you’re a fan of high-scoring shootouts or tactical masterclasses, IPL 2025 has served up a mix of both—and it’s only getting more intense from here.

More in this category: « Rishabh Pant’s Form Dips, But LSG Remains Confident of a Comeback: Shahbaz Ahmed Speaks Out RCB vs MI: Kohli on the Verge of 13,000 T20 Runs in Mega Showdown »
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