On Friday, Sudurpaschim Royals were, once again, restricted to a low total in the season—125/6. This came after the Royals successfully defended 121 runs against Janakpur Bolts on November 10. The low totals were a result of a low score in the powerplay—35/2 against Janakpur and 21/4 against Kathmandu.

It was not the first time in the season that the Royals were restricted to such a low total. The two-time NPL finalists had started the season getting bundled out for 87 against defending champions Lumbini Lions. The Royals were 38/4 in the powerplay against the Lions and went on to lose by seven wickets.

In the Lions’ case, they were wicketless with 70 runs on the board in the first powerplay of the second innings. The powerplay stand was what helped the Lions defeat the Royals. Had the Lions not performed well in the powerplay, the Royals would never be out of defence. 

Poor powerplay has often led the teams to struggle for a win. The second match of Friday—between Janakpur Bolts and Chitwan Rhinos—also highlighted the same. 

Electing to bat first, Janakpur were 22/3 in the first six overs. The inaugural season’s champions could then only manage 88/9 by the end of the first innings. In turn, despite being capable of chasing the paltry target comfortably, the Rhinos were 39/5 in the first six overs and went on to complete the chase in 17.2 overs with six wickets down. 

Until Friday, the average powerplay score in 23 of the 25 matches—excluding the cancelled Chitwan Rhinos vs Lumbini Lions clash and the five-over-a-side match between Biratnagar Kings and Sudurpaschim Royals—is 40. In the second innings, the average is 43.

In the 23 matches played without any over deduction, Lumbini’s 70/0 is the highest powerplay score by a team.

In T20 cricket, the first six overs are expected to be an all-out assault as fielding restrictions allow batters to set the tone of an innings early. Yet, across the third season, a striking pattern has emerged at the TU International Cricket Stadium: teams are failing to maximise the powerplay—either leaving crucial runs on the table or losing their top order before the field spreads.

“The ball is turning a lot, making it difficult for the batters to score within and outside the powerplay,” Hemant Dhami, the pacer of Sudurpaschim Royals, said after the win over Kathmandu Gorkhas on Friday. 

In the Royals’ case, though they started the season by getting bundled out for 87 and losing to Lumbini Lions by seven wickets, the mentality of the team has been crucial in low-scoring matches. 

“It is not a pressure when we are defending a low target because we believe in the caliber of the team,” Dhami added. And what backs the two-time finalists’ mentality is the support by the loudest fans of the tournament.

The batters of Kathmandu, despite managing 32/2 in the powerplay and requiring 94 off 84 to win, were in extreme pressure against a disciplined Sudurpaschim bowling and loud away fans across the grandstands. 

From what Sudurpaschim’s Ishan Pandey said in an exclusive interview with Kantipur after the win over Kathmandu, the Royals will not lose until skipper Dipendra Singh Airee is with the team. Airee scored almost half of the Royals’ total and was crucial in the fielding and captainship decision that helped them defend the low total. 

It is true that the pitches have not benefited the batters, allowing them to score sufficiently in the first six overs. But there have been instances when that theory has been proved wrong. 

Of the 46 innings, there have been only four instances when the powerplay score has reached 61–70 runs. 

The powerplay score was between 21 and 30 runs in six instances, 31 and 40 in 16, 41 and 50 in 13, 51 and 60 in seven and 61 and 70 in four. 

Many players have often argued that one player can turn the tide in T20. Airee’s impact against Kathmandu alongside other instances in the season makes the argument seem correct. 

Yuvraaj Singh Samra is the other player who has shown that TU pitches are not difficult to bat on—though his aggressive batting display has not helped Pokhara Avengers during the powerplay.

Samra, the Canadian youngster named after Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, was signed mid-season by Pokhara. While Singh had to depart early—19 off 14—on his NPL debut, which was against Chitwan on November 6, he smashed the first ton of the season—102 off 48—in his second match against Karnali Yaks on November 9. 

Samra’s century also helped Pokhara post 217/3 on the board making it the only 200+ score of the season. However, to look at the powerplay score, Pokhara were 42/1. It means that the middle and lower order have been crucial with the bat throughout the season. 

The statistics also reveal a stark contrast between the two innings. Teams with the higher powerplay score in the first innings won just seven matches—one more than six wins by sides that trailed after the opening six overs. In the second innings, however, a fast start proved decisive: teams that outscored their opponents in the chasing powerplay won seven matches, compared to only two wins for those that fell behind early.

Does that mean that batting is really difficult in TU this time? It is what veteran English cricketer, Ravi Bopara, has accepted to be true.

“The pitches haven’t been the best this season,” said Bopara, the leading run scorer of NPL. “I think that this is probably the worst we have seen of the pitches.”

But the way Samra has performed with the bat, it seems that the problem is not the pitches, but the intent.

“I like to dominate the bowlers,” Samra had reiterated the sentence multiple times in the post-match press conference after the 63-run victory over Karnali. Samra smashed 84 off 47 in the next match, which was against Biratnagar on Thursday.  Having played only three matches, Samra is already the second-most run scorer of the season. 

Moreover, the five-over-a-side match between Biratnagar and Sudurpaschim on October 31 also depicts that the conditions have not made it difficult to bat at TU.

The fixture was reduced to five overs a piece due to rain. The conditions were more difficult when the match, which was scheduled to begin at 5pm, saw the toss taking place at 9:06pm with the outfield still wet and the boundary ropes narrowed. The match saw Biratnagar hammer 105/2 in five overs alone, and the Royals could only manage 70/3 in response. 105 is a score that the teams, including Biratnagar, have struggled to reach even in 10 overs.