Chahal says T20 cricket is becoming increasingly difficult for bowlers

Yuzvendra Chahal questioned batter-friendly T20 conditions after the West Indies chased down 250 against India in Ranchi. He said flat pitches, dew, smaller boundaries and the IPL’s Impact Player rule were making life increasingly difficult for bowlers

New Delhi: India leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has raised concerns over increasingly batter-friendly conditions in T20 cricket after the West Indies chased down a target of 250 against India in the second T20I in Ranchi on Friday. He argued that flat pitches, dew and smaller boundaries are making it increasingly difficult for bowlers to remain competitive.

“On such wickets, there’s nothing for the bowlers. When the ball gets old, there’s dew, the ball comes nicely onto the bat, and the grounds are getting smaller. We’ve seen this in the IPL as well, with 260 being chased in 19 overs. In this game too, 250 got chased down easily in 18.3 overs. So, what should bowlers do? What is the use of their skill?” Chahal asked while speaking to JioStar.

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Chahal’s remarks followed a contest in which India scored 249/5, only for the West Indies to overhaul the target with four balls to spare. The result underlined the challenge facing bowling attacks when batters can sustain an aggressive scoring rate throughout an innings.

Shai Hope led the visitors’ chase with an unbeaten 102 off 45 deliveries, while Sherfane Rutherford struck 84 off 37 balls. Their 120-run partnership turned the chase in the West Indies’ favour after India had made early inroads, helping the visitors finish on 252/4 and secure a six-wicket victory.

“I feel for them, because I am a bowler too and when I bowl in the IPL, on small grounds with flat wickets, you have an Impact Player as well. Earlier, when the Impact Player rule was not there, you used to see 50 runs in six overs, and 170-180 was a fighting total. But these days, 70-80 runs are scored in the first six overs, and the game is done there itself. So, either you have to have something for the bowlers in the wicket, or else just install a bowling machine,” he added.

The win levelled the five-match series at 1-1 and highlighted the difficulty of defending large totals in modern T20 cricket. Chahal’s criticism also extended to the Indian Premier League, where he believes the combination of smaller grounds, flat pitches and the Impact Player rule has further tilted the balance towards batters.

India will have another opportunity to assess their bowling approach in the third T20I in Indore on Sunday.