Stats Analysis

An IPL for openers and big-hitters

Batting stats and trends from IPL 2015, that set the season apart from previous editions

Bishen Jeswant
Bishen Jeswant
26-May-2015
Batsmen like Kieron Pollard served their team well by making optimum use of the last five overs  •  BCCI

Batsmen like Kieron Pollard served their team well by making optimum use of the last five overs  •  BCCI

The openers
In each of the seven previous seasons of the Indian Premier League, opening batsmen averaged less than 30. In IPL 2015, they averaged 31.4, almost two runs better than their second-best IPL season - the 2012 edition - in which openers averaged 29.62. Their strike rate of 130.48 was also the best for any season. Further evidence of their domination was the fact that eight out of the top-nine run-getters in IPL 2015 were openers, with David Warner leading the way (562 runs at an average of 43.23). AB de Villiers is the only non-opener on this list.
Importantly for their teams, the openers also did well as pairs. The average for the first wicket this season was 35.09 runs, more than two runs better than the second-best season - the 2011 IPL - in which the average was 32.51. There have been only three instances of an opening pair scoring 600-plus runs together in a single IPL season, and two of those came in this edition - Shikhar Dhawan and Warner posted 622 runs, while Parthiv Patel and Lendl Simmons scored 619.
Openers across IPL seasons
IPL season Mat Ave SR 50+ Opening stand
 2015  59  31.40  130.48  48  35.09
 2012  75  29.62  125.95  59  31.76
 2010  60  29.56  130.21  45  30.54
 2008  58  29.46  130.42  43  32.41
 2014  60  28.54  125.44  42  30.72
 2011  73  28.52  124.91  50  32.51
 2013  76  27.25  120.18  51  28.96
 2009  57  23.65  117.88  32  24.00
Death-overs hitting
Teams scored at a run-rate of 10.31 runs per over during the last five overs of an innings this IPL, the highest for any season. Not only were the runs scored at a good rate, the average of 20.04 in this period is also the second-best for any season. Mumbai Indians played a significant role in pushing the overall run-rate up in IPL 2015, by scoring at a rate of 12.21 in the last five overs of an innings. They averaged 26.52 in this period, almost six runs better than any other team.
Batting (team) in the last 5 overs across IPL seasons
IPL season RR Ave
 2015  10.31  20.04
 2014  10.03  20.97
 2008  9.94  18.09
 2010  9.58  19.71
 2013  9.57  18.15
 2012  9.52  18.44
 2009  9.13  17.67
 2011  9.10  18.28
Some of the most effective batsmen in the last five overs in this IPL were MS Dhoni, Kieron Pollard, de Villiers and David Miller. Dhoni and Pollard scored the most runs in this period - 236 and 229 respectively - while de Villiers and Millers had the best strike rates (231.5 and 212.8 respectively) among batsmen who scored at least 100 runs in the last five overs.
Bat first, win match
Teams batting first in IPL 2015 only lost 24 matches, the least in an IPL season, despite the fact that three IPL seasons (2011, 2012 and 2013) had about 75 matches per edition while this IPL only had 59. The team batting first won 32 matches, and their win-loss ratio of 1.33 is the best for any season.
The only teams to lose more matches than they won when batting first in IPL 2015 are Delhi Daredevils and King's XI Punjab - both lost nine of their 14 matches when batting first. The other six teams combined lost only 15 out of 45 matches.
W/L ratio when batting first across IPL seasons
IPL season Mat Won Lost Tied W/L ratio
 2015  59  32  24  1  1.33
 2010  60  31  28  1  1.11
 2013  76  37  37  2  1.00
 2009  57  26  30  1  0.87
 2012  75  34  40  0  0.85
 2011  73  32  40  0  0.80
 2008  58  22  36  0  0.61
 2014  60  22  37  1  0.59
Fifty-plus Scores
There were 93 scores of 50 or more from 59 matches this season, and the ratio of 1.6 fifty-plus scores per match was the best for any IPL season. Warner scored seven fifties this season, the second-best for a batsman in a single IPL season after Chris Gayle (8 in 2012). Lendl Simmons made six 50-plus scores as well, the most by any Mumbai Indians batsman in a single season.
The 2015 season has generally been good for batsmen. An overall strike rate of 131.97 is the best for any season and the average of 25.37 is second best. Additionally, batsmen hit almost 12 sixes per match, also the second-best ratio for any season.
Overall batting across IPL seasons
IPL season Mat Ave SR 50+ 6s 50+/mat 6s/mat
 2015  59  25.37  131.97  93  692  1.58  11.73
 2014  60  26.70  129.04  94  714  1.57  11.90
 2008  58  24.39  128.98  89  622  1.53  10.72
 2010  60  24.63  126.76  92  585  1.53  9.75
 2012  75  24.87  123.46  102  731  1.36  9.75
 2013  76  23.57  121.23  101  673  1.33  8.86
 2011  73  24.51  120.71  95  639  1.30  8.75
 2009  57  22.01  116.61  70  506  1.23  8.88

Bishen Jeswant is a stats sub editor at ESPNcricinfo. @bishen_jeswant