The former captain of the Indian women’s team, Mithali Raj, discussed the significance of the strike rate in Twenty20 cricket. She also discussed the new Impact Player rule that the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) implemented for the 2023 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Mithali Raj has participated in 89 Twenty20 internationals for India, accumulating 2,364 runs at an average of 37.52. Notably, she is the only Indian female cricketer with a T20I batting average above 30.
In reference to Virat Kohli‘s strike rate in the IPL 2023, the former India captain stated that the RCB batsman prefers boundaries and runs between the wickets. She claimed that when a bowler delivered a fast delivery, Kohli was able to smash the ball to the boundary with ease. She also lauded Kohli’s strike rate against pace bowlers in the current IPL season.
“Virat relies much more heavily on fours and dashing between the wickets than on power-hitting. The manner in which he has begun the powerplay in this IPL has been outstanding. The faster the bowler throws, the simpler it appears that he can hit the ball to the boundary. Mithali Raj stated in an exclusive interview with the Hindustan Times, “His strike rate against pace bowlers is incredible.”
If the pitch is challenging and you are losing wickets, you cannot rely solely on your strike rate. Mithali Raj
Mithali stated that both strike rate and average in T20s are significant in their own way when asked about their importance. According to the 40-year-old, in order to have a successful run, a player must score runs while retaining a high strike rate. She continued by stating that a batter cannot rely solely on strike rate if the surface is difficult and the team is losing wickets, as they would bat accordingly. She also stated that, while the strike rate is essential in this format, it is not the only consideration.
It has become a topic of discussion due to the development of T20 cricket, but one cannot place undue emphasis on one aspect while disregarding the other. If you are on a good run, it is expected that you will score runs and sustain a high strike rate. However, if the pitch is demanding and you are losing wickets, you cannot rely on strike rate alone. You adjust your batting based on the situation and the needs of your team. “The strike rate is essential in this format, but it is not the only factor,” Mithali Raj added.
She then addressed the impact player rule in the IPL 2023, asserting that it has diminished the significance of the all-rounder to some degree. She stated that if a team’s impact player is a batter, the batting order is sometimes lowered to No. 9 and a batter is not out of the game if the team is 7 or 8 runs behind in a pursuit.
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