Ahead of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) season, bowlers are set to benefit from a significant rule change

To create a more balanced competition between batsmen and bowlers in the IPL, a new regulation has been introduced allowing bowlers to deliver two bouncers in each over starting from the next season. This modification in the rules was initially tested in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, India’s domestic T20 league.

This rule change empowers bowlers to adopt a more aggressive approach, rather than playing it safe to avoid conceding runs. Jaydev Unadkat, a seasoned player from Saurashtra who was acquired for INR 50 lakh in the IPL 2024 Auction, has praised this decision. He believes it gives bowlers a significant edge in a format that typically favors batsmen.

In an interview with ESPNcricinfo, Unadkat expressed his view that having the option to bowl two bouncers in an over is extremely beneficial. He explained that even if a bowler uses a slower bouncer early in the over, they still retain the ability to bowl another bouncer later, which wasn’t possible before.

Unadkat, a left-arm fast bowler, considers the additional bouncer as a valuable tool in a bowler’s arsenal. He sees this seemingly minor change as having a profound impact on the IPL 2024. Batsmen who struggle against bouncers will now need to improve their technique, adding another dimension to the bowlers’ strategy.

Last year, the IPL introduced the Impact-Player rule, which was a significant innovation. Each team must declare four players as ‘Impact Players’ at the toss, with the option to use only one of them at any point in the match. If a team has already selected four overseas players in their starting XI, they can only substitute them with an Indian player.

These recent changes, including the two-bouncer rule, aim to ensure a fairer and more balanced contest between bat and ball in the league.