Sensible batting has replaced mindless hitting during the PowerPlay overs of IPL-VI. Most of the teams have preferred to keep wickets intact in the first six overs before stepping on the gas pedal in the ‘death’ overs.
Chennai Super Kings, in particular, has adopted this game-plan with great success in winning nine of its 11 games. It has also made the highest score in the PowerPlay overs this edition (67-0 against KKR), a start that powered it to the 200-mark in that game.
Even Royal Challengers Bangalore, despite having Chris Gayle at the top of the order, has taken it easy in the first six overs before making life difficult for the opposition bowlers.
Though Sunrisers Hyderabad finds itself in the top five, it has struggled to do justice to the PowerPlay overs, either losing too many wickets (29-5 versus RR) or making too little (25-4 against PWI).
Kolkata Knight Riders breached the 60-run mark twice in PowerPlay, but lost both those matches (against CSK and MI).
In two games, both teams finished with the same PowerPlay total. Kings XI Punjab was involved both times and ended up with the same result: loss (KXIP & KKR: 45; CSK & KXIP: 36).
