TATA IPL 2024: Taking Wickets Vital in T20s to Limit Scores, says Harbhajan Singh

Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh asserts that the key to curbing aggressive batting in modern cricket is for bowlers to focus on taking wickets regularly. This comes in response to the ongoing 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) season, where teams have frequently surpassed the 200-run mark with ease. Harbhajan, who has played 103 Tests, 236 ODIs, and 28 T20Is for India, emphasized that bowlers should prioritize taking wickets, even if it means conceding more runs.

"I believe that any bowler who says he can stop the run flow is not true. Be it Lasith Malinga, there has never been a better bowler than him in the T20 world. Jasprit Bumrah is that in modern-day cricket. You can only break the momentum after taking a wicket. To take wickets, you need to bowl well", Harbhajan told Raman Raheja, a sportspreneur and media professional.

The veteran player said that bowlers' only option is to chase wickets in the shortest format. "With skill, you can take wickets, not that with fluke you took a wicket, bowled the full toss ball and got the batter out. But that will not happen again. The full-toss ball will concede six more than getting a wicket. Economy rate will only improve when you try for a wicket", he said. "That’s what I think should be the mindset. Whenever I have played any format, T20s, Tests, or ODIs, I look to take wickets. In that process, even if you concede some runs at the cost of 2-3 wickets, you have done your job. That should be the mindset", the spinner added.

The podcast series also featured former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir, who shared his views on the use of two new balls in ODI cricket. "Two new balls in one-day cricket is probably the worst thing that can happen to One-day cricket. Imagine how many finger spinners play one-day cricket. There’s Nathan Lyon who’s got 400 wickets, there’s R. Ashwin who’s got 400 wickets, and they are not a part of the One Day team, and the only reason is that there is nothing for a finger spinner", said Gambhir.

"Imagine someone who has taken 400 test wickets will not play one-day cricket because they don’t become a wicket-taking option, or they end up becoming a defensive option. The reverse swing has gone out of the game completely. I want to see reverse swing, I want to see batters getting challenged, and someone bowling at 150 and reversing the ball is always a challenge. One rule that needs to change is getting rid of two new balls and having only one", he added.