New Delhi: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) star R Ashwin has expressed his concerns over the lack of contest between the bat and the ball in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. The veteran off-spinner insisted that the bowlers might soon need personal psychologists to travel with them to cope with the mental stress of conceding a huge amount of runs in nearly every game.
Ashwin’s comments came after three of the first five matches in the ongoing IPL 2025 saw both teams score over 200 runs in their respective innings. The senior spinner explained how it is getting nearly impossible for the bowlers to compete in the matches and also lamented the conditions of pitches which are too batting friendly.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) posted the first 200-plus total of the season as they rode on Ishan Kishan’s stunning ton to smash 286 runs against Rajasthan Royals in their opening match of the season in Hyderabad. Though RR failed to chase down the target, they responded with 246 runs, highlighting tha fact that there was no help on offer for the bowlers from the pitch at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
Lucknow Super Giants then posted a huge total of 209 runs in their opening game of the season against Delhi Capitals in Vizag and failed to defend it. DC rode on Ashutosh Sharma’s heroics to nail down the target in the last over and begin their season with a win. On Tuesday, Shreyas Iyer’s blistering 99-run knock powered the Punab Kings to their second-highest IPL total of 243 runs. GT fell short closely after managing 232 runs in their run-chase.
R Ashwin highlights plight of bowlers in IPL 2025
Ashwin highlighted the plight of the bowlers in the ongoing IPL 2025 during a discussion with cricket analyst Prasanna Agoram in a video on his YouTube channel. Responding to a claim from Prasanna that the bowlers have become defensive in the IPL, Ashwin said the bowlers might soon need the help of psychologists to help them get over the mental fatigue of being tonked for big runs every game.
“Okay, people say bowlers are becoming defensive. Let that argument stand. But in several instances, bowling has literally become impossible. On certain grounds, you can’t keep the stumps in play. You mentioned full tosses-but (Yuzvendra) Chahal bowled full tosses to Sai Sudharsan and got away with singles (on Tuesday in Ahmedabad),” Ashwin said in the video.
“In fact, a full toss isn’t always a bad ball. On some pitches, deliveries that land on the wicket actually make it easier for batters. We all thought full tosses were easier to hit when we were young, but on certain surfaces, the ball pitches and comes onto the bat better than a full toss,” he added.
Ashwin, however, agreed that the new rule in the IPL which allows the batters and the bowlers to review wides with the help of a moving marker line is helpful. Ashwin returned to CSK for IPL 2025 after being bought by the five-time champions for a huge sum of Rs 9.75 crore in the mega auction last year. He dismissed Will Jacks in CSK’s opener against Mumbai Indians last week to bag his first wicket for the franchise on his return.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) spinner R Aswhin believes bowlers might soon need personal psychologists to travel with them due to the mental stress of conceding huge amount of runs in nearly every game. IPL Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
