After Jofra Archer, Another England Star Blames IPL For India's T20I Downfall

England star blames IPL for India's form [Source: AFP]

India’s first major T20I series after defending their T20 World Cup crown earlier this year has turned out to be incredibly underwhelming. 

On their tour of England, they are yet to put on a convincing performance with the bat — even getting bowled out for just 76 runs while chasing 202 at Trent Bridge.

This dip in India’s batting form has now raised several questions about the quality of batting on tougher wickets, where the bowlers have a bit more help, unlike on flat wickets in the IPL. 

Jofra Archer openly spoke about the issues in India’s batting and has now also received support from Moeen Ali on the same.

Jofra Archer’s subtle dig at IPL pitches

Jofra Archer was one of the key orchestrators in dismantling India for 76 runs, with his spell of 3/29 (3) in the last match. He was also named the player of the match for the game, as England took a 2-0 lead in the series after three matches.

While addressing the issues with India’s batting in the post-match presentation, he pointed out how 200 is not a safe score in the IPL, but tough to chase in England — hinting at the flatter batting wickets in India.

“I think it goes back to normal here [in England]. You try to bowl the ball straight on a good length. Whereas over there, because the wickets are so easy and the boundaries are so small, you have to be really, really particular. Here, I feel your margin for error is a little bit bigger,” he said.

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Moeen Ali calls out IPL rules for India’s struggles in England

While breaking down the ongoing India-England series on his podcast, ‘Beard Before Wicket’, the former England all-rounder Moeen Ali felt the impact player rule is being detrimental to Indian cricket.

“The impact player makes a big difference in the IPL. I think they have lost the art of batting in T20 cricket. I think it is taking away the art of batting in conditions and situations more than anything. You can't just come out and keep slogging from ball one,” Moeen Ali said.

Furthermore, Ali also felt India is also getting things wrong on the tactical front, questioning the use of his former Chennai Super Kings teammate Shivam Dube.

“Dube coming in at number eight and sending Rana ahead of him, I know it's because it is a right-hander, but you are picking a team full of left-handers; you can't just do that,” he noted.

Is IPL the reason behind India’s batting downfall?

Over the past few seasons, the scoring rate in the IPL has reached new highs, which has even rubbed off on India’s T20I batting approach, especially under Suryakumar Yadav post 2025.

The ultra-aggressive approach in the league has made sure that there is fearlessness in the players, but the flat pitches and impact player rule have certainly made it easier for the batters to bat freely. 

So, it is not entirely wrong for Moeen Ali and Jofra Archer to take digs at IPL pitches over the recent struggles in England.

Nonetheless, India’s T20I team looks very well-equipped to thrive across conditions, as seen in South Africa and England over the last two years. The current situation is likely to be fixed by Shreyas Iyer and the management sooner rather than later.

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