T20, it is said, is a game in which batsman dominates. There's not much for bowlers. But, is it really like that? At least, it doesn't seem so if you have been following this format since the last few years. It is true that T20 is synonymous with sixes, fours, and big hits. There's no fun without big hits. The format of the game is such that a fast paced inning is required. The bowlers have to face the heat as the batsman would try to hit each and every ball. However, this scenario is changing. If you have seen the recently concluded ICC World T20, then you must have seen how the bowlers dominated the tournament. Bowlers have accustomed to this short format of the game and modeled their bowling accordingly. They can solely win the game for the team.
IPL is also another testimony to this fact. It's been almost a month now and IPL 2016 is nearing its second phase. All the teams have played at least eight matches out of their 14. Till now we have seen some brilliant batting and bowling performances from the teams. And some of the matches are being won solely on the bowling strength. If we look at the matches of Royal Challengers Bangalore, they have played some 7 matches and have lost four out of them. They are consistently scoring big runs but despite big total they are losing matches. The only reason is the lack of bowling strength. Some of the teams like Kings XI Punjab, Gujarat Lions, and Delhi Daredevils have good bowling attack. Amit Mishra of DD has produced the best bowling figure of the Indian Premier League 2016 till now. He has won matches for his team. Axar Patel, Andre Russel, Dwayne Bravo, Brad Hog and Bhuvneshwar Prasad, all have been bowling brilliantly in this tournament.
Bowling has always been an important part of cricket, be it one-dayers, Test or T20. A strong batting order supported by a good bowling attack is always crucial in a match. With such a tight IPL Schedule, where a team gets only one or two day rest, the bowlers have to maintain a high fitness level. For a match to win especially when it's a T20 match, the bowlers have to support the batsman, They need to strike and win the matches for the team.
