The new rule of two bouncers permitted per over in <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/cricket/article/ipl-2024-rohit-sharma-hopes-new-faces-in-mumbai-indians-make-a-mark-in-ipl-right-from-beginning-23341386" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">IPL 2024</a> has got a thumbs up from players, especially bowlers like Rajasthan Royals' Sandeep Sharma.
The rule has been introduced this season with the idea that the bowlers will have more variations when it comes to attacking the batters who are looking to cut lose right from the word go.
IPL veteran Sandeep feels the two-bouncers per over would keep the batters guessing and would also reduce their ability to predict bowlers' plans.
"The bowlers have got some help with it. Earlier, the batters were able to predict where the bowler would bowl if he has used his one-odd bouncer already. It would be easier for the batters to predict the bowling," Sandeep told the media here at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Sunday.
"But with two bouncers, the batters are also in two minds that there is still one bouncer left for the bowler to use," he said after Rajasthan Royals defeated Lucknow Super Giants by 20 runs in their IPL 2024 encounter.
Making a technical reference, Sandeep said the batter will not be able to commit to a shot even though the bowler would have used one of the two short balls.
"Talking about the (batter's) body weight, even if you do have not executed it and the body weight has not yet been transferred, the bowler can still be on the safer side. Hence this rule is beneficial," he said.
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Sandeep, who bowled a fine spell of 3-0-22-1 to tilt the game in favour of Rajasthan Royals, said having clear plans from the management also plays a big role for a bowler to prepare.
"When I came into this team, I knew that I would get less opportunity with the new ball. I practiced a lot in nets on my slower bouncer, yorkers and death bowling," he said.
"This is a matter of mindset. Like if I know that I will get to bowl more with the new ball, then I would practice more on that. The mindset would be that I have to bowl in powerplay, only two fielders are out. So what plans should I take or make?"
"And then, when I know that I have to bowl more after powerplay, then I practice in nets and the mindset is the same that which deliveries I have to start. If I am bowling with a new ball, then I will never start the first ball on the wide line. The ball should finish in the line of the stumps," he said.
"But today, I started the first ball from the wide line, so if the management already clears you or you already know where you have to bowl the majority (of overs), then it becomes easy to prepare," he said.
Meanwhile, on his part, Lucknow Super Giants' vice-captain and West Indies mainstay Pooran said having awareness about the situation would be the key.
"It's a good rule. Especially when a guy now comes into bat, it's really effective. If someone doesn't like the short ball, you can pepper him with a couple of short balls,&iquest; he said.
"But in saying that, we as players and bowlers need to do our homework as well. Some batsmen, they like the short ball as well. There's a short side, and (then) there's a big side."
But Pooran also sounded out a strategic warning for the fast bowlers.
"If you're going to bowl short balls on the short side, it's going to be dangerous. You may leak runs. But even in the death overs, just to have that two short balls in the over, it makes a big difference, especially if there's a big side and a short side as well."
Pooran said this rule would be helpful for various teams at different venues as the tournament progresses.
"I do think in certain venues, it's going to be really effective. So yeah, it's going to be a challenge," he said.
(With agency inputs)
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