IPL 2024: Travis-Abhishek are the most explosive opening pair in 17 years of the IPL, says Aakash Chopra

New Delhi, May 10 (IANS) It is no surprise that Sunrisers Hyderabad have been a team which has enthralled fans the most in Indian Premier League (ISL) 2024 through their power-packed batting display, led by their left-handed openers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma.

In IPL 2024, Travis and Abhishek have constantly taken opposition bowlers to the cleaners, been ruthless in their stroke play when facing the new ball and have redefined T20 batting in the power-play. Be it smashing a world-record 125 runs in Power-play against Delhi Capitals or showcasing a relentless boundary-hitting clinic to finish the chase of 166 against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in just 9.4 overs, Travis and Abhishek have been an absolute fiery force as openers.

Aakash Chopra, the former India opener, feels the Travis-Abhishek pairing is the most explosive opening combination in 17 years of the tournament.

“They have been absolutely outstanding and both of them have played in such a swashbuckling fashion that despite the sample size being 12 games, my thought is that Head and Abhishek's combination is the most explosive opening pair in 17 years of the IPL.”

“The way these two have been playing and repeating their attacking style of play, with bowlers being taken to cleaners from both ends equally by them, I can’t remember an onslaught like that. Chris Gayle, David Warner and Virender Sehwag used to hit ferociously from one end, while there would be someone from the other end, who would be measured in their batting,” said Chopra, an IPL Expert with JioCinema, to IANS in a select virtual interaction.

As per statistics from Cricket-21 supplied to IANS, Travis and Abhishek have added 676 runs in 11 innings at an average of 67.6, including two fifty-plus stands and three hundred-plus associations, which is the best partnership by a pair for any wicket in IPL 2024.

Their partnership strike rate of 230 is the best for any pair in IPL’s history with a minimum of 500 runs achieved. Such has been their effect that SRH’s Power-play run rate of 11.6 is the best by any team in IPL 2024. In the six-over phase, Abhishek has hit 24 sixes (his overall number stands at 35), while Head has 22 maximums against his name.

“But here, both batters are fearless strikers of the ball and are relentless in their constant pursuit of attacking the bowlers. Their style of play has been so refreshing and it is slightly scary from a bowler’s point of view because they have decided there’s only one way to play and that’s high-way.”

“When that is how players decide to bat, irrespective of who is to follow, they unlock a potential. So, it’s been absolutely amazing to see them and it has made SRH the most entertaining line-up in the tournament,” added Chopra.

On the other hand, young India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has blown hot and cold for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2024. The left-handed opener has been dismissed by left-arm fast-bowlers five times in the tournament, the latest of which came after Khaleel Ahmed took him out with a short and rising ball in Delhi earlier this week.

A pattern in T20 World Cup-bound Jaiswal’s dismissals has been that he’s majorly fallen while trying to take on short or back-of-the-length deliveries, thrice of which have come off against left-arm pacers. Chopra reckons Jaiswal needs to curb his aggressive play when facing left-arm pacers.

“It isn’t like he went for the defence and got out after giving an outside edge behind or was hit on the pads after playing down the wrong line. If you look at the pattern of Yashasvi’s dismissals against left-arm fast-bowlers, he has been getting out while trying to hit a big shot or doing something big right from the first or second over.”

“Sometimes over-aggressive or over-greedy thought comes into the mind on seeing his manner of dismissals. It is an aspect which is controllable as this isn’t a technical weakness which needs tons of hard work in the nets; it’s more of a temperamental issue as he needs to curb that aggression a little bit and give some respect to the left-arm fast-bowlers troubling you.”

“He’s scored lots of runs and is a proper Test batter too. So, I am not that much personally worried over Yashasvi’s form or the manner of his dismissals against left-arm fast-bowlers in IPL 2024, but if there’s a pattern in how you are being out, then it needs to be addressed.”

Another pattern which has been noticed of late is Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant being dismissed by leg-spinners five times in the tournament. Against spin-bowling in IPL 2024, the left-handed Pant has made 131 runs off 114 balls, at an average of 26.2 and a strike rate of 114.9. Chopra thinks Pant needs to make use of the off-side region more to counter the spinners and stem the pattern of him being dismissed by leg-spinners.

“He has been dismissed by leg-spinners because he played bad shots against them at that particular moment. It’s not like he got out while hitting a good shot – like against Varun Chakaravarthy, he fell off bad shots twice and before that, he was trying to constantly hit off him.”

“Against Yuzvendra Chahal too, he fell after being caught behind in Jaipur and more recently, gave a catch in the deep against him in Delhi too. I feel it's more of a mental than a technical thing as if are out while playing a bad shot, then you can’t say much to the bowler, who did his job of bowling at the right area.”

“But one thing I have noticed is, barring the Jaipur dismissal, Rishabh has been getting out while trying to drag the ball through the on-side, more so against the leg-spinners. He may have to course-correct that a little, as his off-side play has been really good this year and if he tries to access that area against leg-spin, it would just be a little more convenient and profitable.”

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